Gone But Not Forgotten
by Phantom of The Bandroom
Summary: Odette and Derek are happy with their three children, but then the unthinkable happens. One is gone. 12 years later, she finds her way back, and everyone she loved recognizes her. Trouble is, she doesn't remember them.
1. Chapter 1

Derek's eyes snapped open the instant he heard Odette's voice as it broke through his sleep.

"It's time…"

What had she said that morning? That the baby would be due any day, that's what she'd said. It felt as if it had been mere minutes since he had laid his head down on the pillow next to hers and closed his eyes.

He didn't even dream that night was _the_ night.

His mind wasted no time in reacting. He immediately got out of bed and helped Odette up and held her hand as he guided her down the hall to the castle's infirmary.

Once he arrived, he called for the help of a nurse who was the only person in the room. Derek knew her well, as did Odette. She was the midwife.

From there, things seemed to happen so quickly that he had no control over them. He was allotted one last kiss with Odette before he was rushed from the room, much to his worry.

He stood and stared at the door, much like the time he and Odette had met for the first time as adults. However, this time, it wasn't out of spiteful anger. It was out of worry. And fear. And hope. And a strange mixture of about a thousand other emotions coursing through his veins, making his already aching heart beat faster.

Derek's anxieties were somewhat relaxed – by force, that is – when Rogers, his best friend and councilor showed up.

"She'll be alright, Derek," Rogers said, his voice taking on a fatherly tone.

"I- I know," Derek stammered, trying to sound half as confident as Rogers.

"She's been through it before," Rogers reminded him.

Derek nodded his agreement. Thinking of his son, Eli, who had been born four years before, and then his first born daughter, Alexandra, who had been born two years before him, had made him feel better, if only slightly. Everything had gone more than smoothly, and Derek and Odette's first two children were born healthy.

"Still…" Derek trailed off.

"Still?"

"There's a lot that could go wrong."

"Derek," Rogers said as patiently as he could, "she'll be just fine. Don't worry. Why don't you check on Eli and Alex?"

Derek nodded once and walked off, taking quit steps as he did so. His fingers drummed against his legs as he moved along. He clenched his hands into tight, nervous fists in an effort to stop himself, but he soon himself flexing his fingers anxiously.

He turned into the corridor that held Eli's room. To his amused surprise, he could see his son sneaking out of his room, trying to close the heavy wooden door as quietly as he could.

Derek cleared his throat loudly, and in startled response, Eli stopped dead in his tracks. As he turned around, Eli could see Derek standing tall over him, with one eyebrow raised in interested and smiling contempt.

Eli grinned innocently up at Derek, who smirked in return.

"Come on," Derek said, holding out his hand. "The baby's on the way."

He first walked across the hallway to the room that was directly in front of Eli's. This room was Alex's. He quietly opened the door and smiled a little more when he saw his daughter sleeping soundly. Carefully, he picked her up, whispering an explanation when she muttered something unintelligible.

They walked down the corridors – slower this time – quietly. Eli had been asking for months about his new little brother or sister. Together, they waited outside the infirmary.

Alex seemed to be just as anxious, but she was definitely quieter about it.

She was mature beyond her six years, a trait she had received from her mother, much like the shape of her face and the color of her eyes. It seemed that Derek's only real contribution was the head of brown hair that framed Alex's face.

Eli was a copy of Derek, right down to his less than welcoming attitude toward girls that weren't his sister. He was energetic and already athletically inclined – not that Alex couldn't keep up with him when the occasion called for it.

The two of them were Odette and Derek's pride and joy, the objects of their affection. All four of them were excited about the new addition to the family, each in their own way.

XxX

It seemed like an entire year that Odette was in labor. It seemed like the anxiety of an entire summer, spring, fall, and winter were captured in those three hours.

Derek sat on the floor against the wall opposite the door of the infirmary. Alex and Eli were curled up under his arms on either side of him. They didn't seem to be paying too much attention to what was going on, as it was very late, but Derek's blue eyes were fixed on the door with unwavering focus.

But finally, when one cry stopped, another started. Derek breathed a sigh of momentary relief, but then remembered that Odette wasn't out of the woods yet, so to speak.

A few more minutes passed, and, at long last, the midwife exited the room, holding in her arms a very tiny bundle of a blanket. She was smiling, a sign Derek knew to be very good. Everyone, the new baby included, had gotten through everything just fine.

Derek gingerly took the child in his arms and felt his heart warm when he looked at the baby's tiny face.

"A girl," the midwife said. "Joan."

Derek said nothing for a moment, too lost in his daughter's little blue eyes. She looked just like Odette. Blonde hair, blue eyes; an exact copy.

Seeing that her new sister had been brought out, Alex tapped on Eli's shoulder, waking him up from his little nap that he had slipped into as he was waiting.

Derek knelt a little so they could see their new sister. Alex smiled brightly in approval at her new sister. Eli had a cautious look, Derek recognized it as his 'oh no, not another girl' look. But the slight grimace quickly faded. Eli was, despite his dread of girls, just as happy as the rest.

"Alex, Eli, this is Joan, your new sister."

After a few moments of looking at the new baby, Derek stood up and turned to the midwife, who hadn't yet left.

"Can I see her?" Derek asked, a bit of urgency leaking into his voice.

The midwife nodded. "Of course."

She held the door open as Derek, focused and yet extremely happy, rushed in.

Odette was sitting up, looking very exhausted but still glowing, still beautiful. She gave Derek a look of light chastisement for coming into the room so fast with the baby in his arms, but the look soon dropped and she was smiling at him brightly as she held out her arms for Joan.

Derek handed his newborn daughter over and sat down on the bed next to Odette. "She's beautiful… both of you are." He kissed the top of her head.

Odette looked up at him and gazed into his smiling eyes for a moment. "I love you, Derek."

They kissed again. In Odette's arms, Joan was starting to fall asleep. Upon seeing this when their lips parted, Odette and Derek were filled with a sense of pride and contentment. Here they had, their kingdom, three beautiful children, and, most importantly, each other.

Pretty soon, though, they knew Alex and Eli would be getting restless. So Odette sent Derek to get them.

Alex walked in quietly, smiling. Eli was more cautious, still not sure about having another girl in the family. They climbed into the bed and sat on either side of Odette, leaning in to get a better look at Joan.

"She's the youngest now, Eli," Odette said softly. "That means you have to help look out for her, if something ever happens." Eli nodded, quickly taking on the responsibility of the protective older brother. "But Alex," Odette went on, "You're the oldest, and I want you to promise me you'll take care of them if they ever need it, okay?"

Alex nodded too, more solemnly than Eli. Being very mature and knowing all the stories of The Forbidden Arts, she knew exactly what her mother was talking about. It sounded grim, but Alex, Derek, and Odette all knew what she was talking about.

The intense moment passed, and pretty soon, all their attention was back on Joan. Derek sat up in the bed next to Eli, who was falling asleep again.

And pretty soon, they were all asleep, totally happy, totally at peace.

But a pair of green eyes was on the outside looking in, and those eyes belonged to someone with only one thing on her mind.

Revenge.


	2. Chapter 2

It didn't take long at all for baby Joan to become part of the family. Odette and Derek were proud parents of three gorgeous children, one of whom was taking on all the responsibilities of being a protective older sister. Alex fell into the role of a good example quickly and naturally, like she'd been born to help her family.

However, things weren't as calm and quiet as they should have been. Two months after Joan was born, a familiar enemy was making plans to shatter the family of a couple she despised more than anything in the world.

"They think they've won," Zelda muttered as she paced around in her lair, trying to think of a good plan for revenge. "They think they've seen the last of me. They haven't."

Zelda, who had been presumably killed when she fell into a cage of fire she had originally created to keep Odette trapped, had put a spell on the notes she had in her possession as she waited for Derek to bring the missing section as ransom for Odette's safe return.

It was a failsafe; a spell that would allow for the return of anyone killed by The Forbidden Arts while it was in Zelda's possession to be brought back to life, should the notes ever be destroyed. It was an excellent idea and it worked, as Derek immediately burned the notes after Odette's 'death,' hoping that something good would come of it.

Derek had indeed burned the notes, and when Odette came back in grand style – a fire in the shape of a swan – Zelda was in the shadows, watching the reunion. Her eyes were full of hatred at that moment, as well as any other time Derek and Odette crossed her mind.

Zelda had no real, solid idea why she hated them so, Odette especially so much. Perhaps it was because they had destroyed everything she and Rothbart had worked so hard to create. Perhaps it was Derek's meddling with the notes. Or maybe it was because just when Rothbart and Zelda finally felt like they could win against King William, Odette's father, Rothbart betrayed Zelda, took the Arts, and left her to marry Odette.

Never mind the fact that Odette certainly didn't want Rothbart. It didn't matter.

None of it mattered.

The fact remained that Zelda loathed their existence and it was her personal goal to make them as miserable as possible with a plan she would very soon set into motion.

XxX

"Be careful," Odette called lightly to Eli and Alex, who were sword-fighting with wooden swords, just as she and Derek had done when they were young.

It was a beautiful day by the lake. The sun shone uninterrupted by clouds. Birds were everywhere, filling the air with their chatter. Odette could even see the swans swimming around on the lake, a sight that no longer filled her with such depression as she remembered her time as a swan.

"Okay," Alex answered, ducking to the side just as Eli was about to strike. Girl as she was, Alex was definitely the better duelist. But then again, it probably had something to do with the fact that she didn't swing every time Eli so much as blinked.

Odette found a shaded spot in the grass and sat down with Joan, who was unanimously adored by everyone in the castle. Derek, who had been held up by a few last minute preparations for the King of Lincolnshire, Adelaide, who would be visiting later in the day with his son, Matthew, joined them.

The two of them watched as Alex easily leaped around, dodging around Eli's swipes and swings. Their interest soon waned, and they began chatting amongst themselves, only keeping one eye on Alex and Eli.

Eli was struggling to keep up, wearing himself as he did so, but luckily Alex took pity on him and didn't move too far or too fast.

However, when something moving around in the nearby woods caught her attention, Alex stopped, concentrating on what she thought to be someone spying on them from amongst the trees. When she turned back to face Eli, who had thought she was baiting him, she saw that he was charging at him. With only a second to act, she instinctively blocked the wooden sword with her left forearm.

When Eli's sword came down, it hit her arm about two inches below her elbow. It sent a shockwave up to her shoulder, causing her to yelp in pain.

Odette hearing the commotion, jumped up as quickly as she could with Joan in her arms, and dashed over. Derek, whose reflexes hadn't acted so quickly, was close behind.

Alex was clenching her teeth, stoically trying to act like it didn't hurt. But her right hand was wrapped around her arm, giving her away.

Eli was quickly trying to apologize, but most of the words came out as fast spoken gibberish.

When Odette finally reached them, she was relieved to see that Alex didn't seem to be hurt too badly. But then again, by the time Derek, a few seconds later, got there, Alex's attention had shifted back to the spot in the woods she had been watching earlier.

"Alex, are you alright?" Odette asked as she handed Joan to Derek so she could examine Alex's arm. "Let me see."

Alex blankly obeyed, still carefully observing the woods. She held out her arm, but did not look as her mother checked it. Odette was relieved to find that Alex's arm had not been broken.

But then again, it didn't make much sense that she had been hit at all. Odette followed Alex's eyes to the woods, but she saw nothing. "Alex, sweetie, what do you see?"

Odette had no doubt at all that something had been in the woods. It took an awful lot to pull Alex's attention away from anything she was doing, especially sword-fighting with her brother. The question was, was the thing in the woods still there?

Alex jerked her attention to her mother. She seemed to be at a loss for words. What did she see? A shadow? A bird? What was in the woods?

"It's… nothing," she finally answered. "It's nothing."

Odette tried to see what had Alex so bothered, but there was nothing to be seen in the spot where she had been so intensely staring.

Meanwhile, Eli had fallen silent. He was staring at his mother and elder sister, confused by the tense exchange of looks that had occurred between them. He looked up at Derek, who had stayed back and observed, but received no answers to his unspoken question regarding what had just happened.

Derek sensed dread from Odette and confusion from Alex. He refrained from looking down at Eli, who Derek knew would be staring up at him.

Finally, Odette rose to her feet and turned to Derek and Eli.

"She's alright," Odette said, not clearing the air. It was only a minor relief that Alex's arm had not been broken. It was overshadowed by the thing in the woods.

Alex knew all the stories. Although she didn't know every detail, she knew how much trouble Zelda, Clavius, and Rothbart had been for her parents. And although her parents had told the story with pleasant endings, Alex knew that the Forbidden Arts were very, very dangerous.

The air cleared when Rogers approached, ignorant of all that had passed moments before. "King Adelaide and Prince Matthew have arrived," he announced.

Derek nodded and looked toward his family, who had shaken off their bad feelings. They seemed to be fine now, so Derek had confidence when he told Rogers to direct Matthew and Adelaide to where they were all gathered.

"Derek, I'll take Joan," Odette volunteered, holding her arms out. Derek passed her over and waited for Adelaide and Matthew, who had just appeared, not too far away.

"Alex," Odette whispered in her eldest daughter's ear, "I want you to be nice to Matthew, okay?"

"Okay…" Alex answered almost unwillingly. It was no secret that, as Derek and Odette couldn't stand each other as children, Alex and Matthew disliked each other in a very similar way. The difference was, Alex was forced to endure Matthew's foolish pranks and jokes more often than every summer.

It was Matthew's foolishness and Alex's maturity that made it seem like they detested each other, but when they weren't carefully keeping their guard up, it was easy to see the slightest bit of admiration they held for one another.

It was ironic to see through Derek and Odette's eyes. From watching their daughter and Matthew, they finally understood why their parents were so bound and determined for them to marry.

All this would explain why Matthew walked straight up to Alex when he and his father arrived.

"Hello princess," he mocked, bowing in a very stupid way. Alex rolled her eyes, but in no other way did she retaliate.

Matthew was eight years old, two years Alex's senior, a fact he repeatedly hung over her head whenever the chance arose. He was taller than she, with dark brown eyes and thick black hair. His mother, Queen Camille, was the one who he inherited his features from. His father, with his fair complexion and light hair, seemed to be without credit in his son's appearance.

"Hello, Matthew," Alex said simply.

Eli bounded up to them like a happy puppy. He considered Matthew to be a much better role model than Alex, which was why he loyally followed and obeyed Matthew when he came to visit.

"Hi Matthew!" Eli panted, forgetting about Alex's arm.

Matthew gave him a quick nod, and turned back to Alex. "You look like you're about to cry."

"I am not about to cry," she said indignantly.

"I bet you are."

"Well, then again, your face is in viewing distance, so maybe I will cry." She smirked triumphantly as he could find no words in retort. Eli made no effort to help either one of them. He was all too used to their bickering, and when it came to brain power, Alex had Matthew beat.

Secretly, Alex was glad Matthew showed up when he did. It gave her a chance to think about what she had seen in the woods without having to waste too much thought on an intelligent conversation with someone else.

Not knowing what was there aside, she had a very bad feeling about it.


	3. Chapter 3

The rest of the evening passed uneventfully, an event in itself that seemed rare.

Truly, it seemed like hardly a day went by that something big didn't happen, good or bad. Derek, for one, was always at ease when there were the quiet afternoons when he could just relax and chat with his friends and family.

Today, King Adelaide and Prince Matthew provided the peaceful company for Derek, and although he was worried about what Alex had seen or may have seen in the woods, he was able to convince himself that it was nothing; a bird, or an animal maybe. It hardly mattered anymore.

Derek and Adelaide were locked in conversation, speaking of nearly everything under the sun. Meanwhile, Odette visited with Camille, who was also visiting, Adelaide's lovely and kind wife. They had been friends since they were young, and they remained that way through all the events of the past few years.

Alex seemed to be too thoughtful of what had happened earlier by the lake to pay any real attention to Matthew's foolish pranks and stupid comments. He eventually gave up, knowing that, as long as she was in this pensive mood, she would not react or respond to his mishief. One thing he could never deny: she was smart.

Matthew occupied himself by having Eli do his bidding. Like a loyal dog, Eli did everything Matthew asked. Normally, Alex would get angry at Matthew for taking advantage of her little brother. The fact that she wasn't was more disturbing to him than he would have liked to admit.

After a while, it began to bother everyone that Alex had spoken very few words. Odette was worried the most by her daughter's silence. Alex wasn't normally a talkative child, but when she did speak, it was with depth that was beyond her years. That night, she answered with only one or two necessary words, barely taking any notice at all.

Finally, it was time to go to bed, and Alex was more than willing, for once, to go.

As everyone began to settle down for the night, Odette and Derek were able to talk in privacy.

"Derek," Odette said from behind the wicker changing screen.

"Yes?"

"I think Alex did see something in the woods today."

"But what?" he asked, not completely sure – or at least, still in denial – about whether or not Alex had indeed seen something in the woods.

"I don't know, but I don't think she would have imagined it or made it up. She's not like that."

"I know," he admitted.

He was finally resigning himself to the fact that something could be wrong. And when it came to his family, something was always wrong. But still he wished he had some hope for things to be normal to cling on to. He knew Zelda, Clavius, or Rothbart would eventually come back in some way and cause a whole new wave of trouble for him and Odette. But for one of their children to be at all involved was something he prayed against every day and night. He didn't want another catastrophe for himself and Odette, and he didn't want his children to have to deal with the Forbidden Arts.

Odette didn't want anything involving the Forbidden Arts near her children. The only thing they should have known were the stories – nothing first hand. Ever. She dreaded the thought of having to go through another nightmare, and with Alex, Eli, and Joan, they would doubtlessly be dragged into it too.

"We'll keep them safe, Odette," Derek said. "I promise."

XxX

"Tonight's the night," Zelda snickered to herself, staring up at the castle. A few hours had passed since everyone went to bed. For the second time in a span of about seven years, she was glad that the old fool Rogers had shown her every square inch of the castle while he was in his lovesick daze.

She almost pitied him. Almost. Just like she almost considered allowing Derek and Odette to live peacefully after everything that had passed.

Since she had managed to create a new orb with the Forbidden Arts and absorb the power, she still had control of the powers to create, change, and destroy.

Tonight, she knew she had the advantage. She knew Derek and Odette would probably be sleeping by now, as would be the children, little what's-her-face, what's-his-name, and baby does-anyone-really-care.

True, the oldest had spotted her earlier that day, but the child had no idea what she was seeing, so it didn't matter. Zelda was counting on the fact that children had short attention spans and immediately forgot things, regardless of importance.

However, she was wrong. Alex remained very alert that night, barely sleeping. She thought it her duty to keep watch over her family that night. If her parents couldn't protect her, she would protect them.

Zelda had taken the form of a typical, faceless maid in the castle. She didn't even have to try to sneak into the castle. She simply walked in, as if she had been doing so for years and years. No one, especially not the foolish guards, even bothered to ask who she was – not that asking such a question would be of any service to them other than sending them to their maker.

After careful deliberation, Zelda had decided that the best way to take revenge would be to steal something Derek and Odette couldn't live without; their children. However, she had no intentions of dealing with three screaming brats for any period of time. So she was only going to take one, and the obvious choice would be the baby, Joan, Zelda thought her name was.

Joan wouldn't be able to fight back at all, and by the time her parents would hear her crying, it would be far too late.

Zelda crept her way into the nursery, a very easy task thanks to Rogers' previous gullibility. Silently, she opened the door and, like a cat, she quietly snuck in. She strode over to the cradle – no need to rush the moment.

XxX

Alex had no idea what time it was when she suddenly woke from a very uneasy and restless sleep. It seemed like whatever was in the woods was there, inside the castle.

Quietly, she opened the door to her room and hesitantly stepped into the hall.

When she looked across the corridor, she could see that Eli had not been up since he had been tucked in for the night –usually when he snuck out, he carelessly left the door open for all to see.

Looking to the right and down the hall, she could see nothing. It was totally empty; no signs of life, only stone, paintings, and tapestries.

To the left, she could see the door that led to the nursery. Oddly enough, it was open, something her parents never allowed. She knew they were careful with the safety of their children, and after hearing the stories of the Forbidden Arts, she could understand why.

But then, why was the door open? Who was in there?

It certainly wasn't her parents.

Derek and Odette were never awake this late, and if they were, they probably would have closed the door to the nursery.

Alex knew right then and there that something was very wrong. Quietly, she took her first steps down the hall, heading straight to where Joan was, not knowing who or what else was in there with her.

XxX

Zelda grinned slimily down at the sleeping infant. However, just as she was about to pick up the child, a figure appeared at the door.

For a brief moment, Zelda was startled. She was petrified, sure she had been discovered and thinking of the best way to escape.

But the moment quickly faded when she realized the figure was that of a child.

"Who-who are you?" the girl demanded shakily. Judging by the eyes and face, Zelda was sure this was Odette's first born daughter. The resemblance was uncanny. "What are you doing?"

"Shouldn't you be asleep, little girl?" Zelda sneered, forming a ball of red light in her hand. She quickly thought better of it, though. Even she could not kill a child. Truly, she had no idea what she was going to do with Joan when she had succeeded in kidnapping her.

Meanwhile, Alex had taken a few steps forward, not letting her face betray her fear, although her shaking knees were already doing so.

Zelda sneered at the child. She was brave and outspoken, like Odette, but the child definitely thought she was strong, a folly Zelda would correct for her.

Zelda quickly thought over a plan. She could try to change Alex's memories, but she wasn't totally sure she could do it quickly or efficiently. There was a chance that she would fail to destroy the girl's memories of that night. It only made sense to take Alex instead of Joan, who wouldn't remember and couldn't speak anyway.

Zelda through a seeker at Alex, who tried to get away, but wasn't quick enough.

Surprisingly, Alex didn't scream. She was far too busy trying to find a way down.

Knowing that an escape by the girl would be nigh impossible, Zelda allowed herself to revert back to her normal form and jumped on her own fireball. With Alex in tow behind her, Zelda opened the high window and flew out.

They disappeared into the night just as Joan started to cry.

XxX

Odette and Derek arrived at the nursery from the opposite way in which Alex had come.

As Odette tried to soothe Joan, Derek tried to figure out, or at least remember, why the window was open. He soon decided that neither he nor Odette had left it open. He suddenly felt very ill at ease.

Odette caught his mood, and knew immediately that something was very off about the circumstances.

Why was the window open, yet Joan was undisturbed, save for the crying?

"Derek…" Odette began, but trailed off. She had no idea how to put her fears into rational words.

"I know," Derek said, agreeing with her silence. "Let's check on Alex and Eli."

Walking down the hall, they could spot nothing wrong. Derek first checked Eli's room, and upon seeing his son fast asleep, he was satisfied and he closed the door. Next was Alex's room.

This time, the safety of his child was not so easily confirmed. The door was open, and she wasn't in her room. Odette and Derek searched the hall, and then, with the help of a few guards, the entire wing, and soon after, the whole castle, including the grounds outside, although it would be unlikely that Alex would be out there.

After finding no sign of his eldest daughter, Derek changed into some day clothes and enlisted some of the guards to form a search party. The rest of the guards were put on the highest alert, should the kidnapper – as it was doubtlessly a kidnapping - came back.

Odette was, for the most part, silent and scared. She knew Alex wouldn't have tried to hide from her parents at such a late hour. Alex didn't like to cause mischief in the middle of the night.

But she couldn't be gone.

She had to be fine. She was alright. It was just a misunderstanding. It was a fluke. She'd only gotten up for a moment…

Odette tried to convince herself of these things, but they were all quickly disproven when she searched the castle for a second and third time.

Alex was, indeed, gone.


	4. Chapter 4

Derek and all the other men he drafted searched through the night and continued when the sun rose.

Every inch of the kingdom was searched, as word traveled fast when a royal child was involved. Derek and Odette were beloved by their kingdom, so, naturally, were the children. Alex especially, thanks to the resemblance to her mother.

But there was no word of her whereabouts, not a sign, not a sound.

For three long days, what seemed like the entire world searched for Alex. With each day that passed, hope of finding the girl waned more and more.

And when the sun fell on the third day, all hope was gone. Even Adelaide, Camille, and Matthew gave Derek and Odette their condolences, although they were the ones who had the most faith in the beginning. Both Derek and Odette knew that there was a very slim chance that Alex would be found if they had given up.

Eli too had been shaking up at the sudden disappearance of his sister. He would walk around the castle, calling Alex's name. He thought she was playing a game with him. And when he finally started to understand that she was not playing with him, he was heartbroken. Alex was his best friend when Matthew wasn't around. She was the person he could get away with anything with. She was a role model to him, someone to look up to. And although he didn't fully realize it at the time, he was afraid of growing up without her.

Derek returned to the castle after one last search throughout the town to find Odette sitting in Alex's room on the bed, staring blankly at the wall. She had stayed home to take care of Eli, who didn't need much tending to, as he could hardly think about anything other than the words "where's Alex," and Joan, who definitely couldn't understand what was going on but felt the fear and tension.

Upon hearing Derek enter the room, Odette turned to meet him, but when she saw the deep sadness in his eyes as he slowly shook his head negatively, whatever minute amount of optimism she had left vanished completely.

At that moment, like him, she'd finally accepted that Alex was gone forever.

Derek wordlessly crossed the room and sat down beside her.

"I'm sorry," he said, barely louder than a whisper. "I'm sorry I couldn't find her, I'm so sorry…" His voice cracked and he was unable to say any more, but Odette understood his guilt and she shared it.

Why didn't she keep better watch? Why didn't she insist Derek investigate the woods that afternoon?

All these questions came too late. Alex was gone, leaving behind no clue that would help them find her.

"It's harder like this," she said slowly. "I can't believe how much it hurts. I'd rather I be the one to be kidnapped, not Alex. Not any of them."

Derek nodded. "I can't believe I let this happen… even after I promised you I wouldn't let anything happen. But why Alex? And why was Alex in Joan's room?"

"I'm more than sure it was Zelda. She's the only one who could think of something like this and actually pull it off. If I came back after you burned the notes, she must have too. And she probably wanted revenge, so she must have decided to kidnap Joan. But Alex must have heard Joan crying, and she must have gone to her room to find out why. So Zelda probably took Alex because Joan wouldn't remember."

"But what is Zelda, if it was her, going to do with Alex now that she has her?"

The question hung in the air for a few minutes with no vocal answer. Both of them knew that Alex had little chance of survival, should Zelda decide to murder her. A silent tear rolled down Odette's cheek.

"I've been here for every step Alex has taken, every word she's spoken, everything. I just wasn't here when it really mattered…" Odette paused taking a deep breath before she continued. "I remember when she was born, and how much I loved that little girl when I saw her eyes. And when she took her first steps, how I wanted to be there the moment she fell. And now it's just a memory."

"Like a rug's been yanked out from under you; from both of us."

"Yes," Odette agreed. "I thought it was all over and we wouldn't have to deal with the Forbidden Arts, or Zelda, or any of them."

"Neither did I. I should have kept my promise and protected them better. Odette, I'm so sorry. I let you down, and Alex, and Eli. And Joan will never know her big sister. And… I feel so stupid… like I'm worthless. I can't even protect my family when danger is right in front of my face. What good am I?"

XxX

Alex woke up from what seemed like a vivid nightmare. To her horror, it was real.

She was in Zelda's clutches. From her parents' stories, she knew that Zelda was probably the most vengeful of their enemies. Alex knew she would stop at nothing to destroy everything her parents had.

She wondered what Zelda would do to her.

Alex slowly stood up, surprised that Zelda had left her alone. Quickly, she took account of were she was.

It was a cave. There were stalagmites and stalactites everywhere. There were deposits of some kind of mineral – quartz, maybe? – here and there. There was a table strewn with notes and bottles. In the middle of the room sat a glass orb on a pedestal.

Alex recognized it all. Not from her own memories, but from her mother's. Odette told her about the cave and being held captive there. And although Alex didn't do a lot of traveling about the kingdom in her six years of life, she knew the cave was near the mouth of the western river, which ran nearby Swan Lake.

Figuring out how to get home had been relatively simple, she was proud to admit – despite her present situation – but how to escape without Zelda finding her and chasing her down was another matter entirely. As Alex thought on this, Zelda appeared, looking sinister and murderous.

All hope Alex had of escaping left her. She knew that Zelda could find her anywhere. Escape would be pointless. Even if she was safe in the arms of her family, Alex knew Zelda could tear her away.

"What are you going to do?" Alex asked as bravely as she could, trying not to show any fear, like the night before.

Zelda sneered. "I'm not going to kill you, if that's what you're wondering…" Zelda's voice dropped as she began to speak more to herself than to Alex. She started pacing around in thought. "But what _am _I going to do? I can't just let her go… she'd remember how to get home, but if I could make her forget… That's it!"

Zelda turned to Alex. Alex took a step back, seeing that Zelda had raised her wand and was looking even more sinister.

"I'm going to make you forget your family. You'll never see them again, and if you do, you won't recognize them. Say goodbye to your memories."

A green light formed at the end of the wand. Alex cringed, knowing that the spell was going to hurt. Zelda waved the wand toward Alex, and suddenly, the ball of light was burning her forehead. Soon, it felt like it was completely enveloping her head, and burrowing its way inside Alex's mind.

Alex clenched her teeth as the spell was working on her. She could feel the memories slipping away. All of it was becoming more and more foggy, like a memory of a dream. Like it was all a figment of her imagination…

"No! I won't forget!" she screamed in her mind as she held on tightly to an image of her mother.

Finally, it was too much, and she blacked out.

XxX

When Alex finally came to about an hour later, she had a splitting headache. She had no idea where she was, as she did not remember how she got there. But then again, she couldn't think of another place she was supposed to be.

"Alex?" Zelda asked, her voice hard and cold. Alex turned to her, fear and confusion in her eyes.

"Y-yes?"

"Do you know anyone named Derek? Or Odette? Joan? Eli?"

"No… I don't know those people. Who are you? Who are those people?"

"Good…"

Zelda lifted her wand once more and uttered a spell that made Alex lose consciousness again.

XxX

While she slept, Alex was slipped into a cart of hay by Zelda, who didn't care enough about what would happen to the girl to wake her up.

The wagon was in near the market place in the middle of the town outside of Swan Lake, the last place Derek and Odette would still be looking for the missing child.

A few strangers passed without taking any real notice of the sleeping child in the hay cart. Finally, the man who owned the cart was surprised to see a girl sleeping soundly in the hay while he was doing business with the other people at the market.

Not knowing what to do with the child, as he had more than enough of his own at home waiting for him, he stood and scratched his head for a moment. One thing he had to admit, the girl was pretty. He sighed as he sat down on the seat and clicked the reins, making the broken down mule that was carrying the load slowly move toward the edge of the town.

After the ride was over, the man had come to a house that was full of children. Carefully picking up the strange girl, who was shockingly still sleeping, he walked to the door and knocked as best he could with his toe.

He was greeted by a little boy of about four years old.

"Father Clarence!" the boy called, dashing deeper into the house as soon as his spot at the doorway was taken by a grown man.

"Giles? What are you doing here? And who is this?"

"Father Clarence, I know this orphanage is full to bursting, but you see, I need to drop this girl here and"

Giles was stopped by Father Clarence's hand, which was raised, signaling for him to be silent. "Not so fast, my friend. Please, come in, and start your story from the beginning."

As soon as Giles had made himself comfortable inside the house, he began to explain exactly how he had come across Alex sleeping in his cart. "And you see, Father, I can't take her home. I have too many mouths to feed and since Iris died… well, I can't take care of another little one."

"I understand, Giles," Father Clarence assured him.

"But at the same time, I can't bear to think of who would abandon such an angel as this girl."

Clarence nodded again. "She is a very beautiful child. My friend, I don't want you to worry. I'll take her in, and I'll make sure she has everything she needs. We might be a little packed here, but she won't be lacking in company."

As he was speaking, Alex was waking up. She stretched out, and when her eyes fully opened, she was once again confused about her surroundings. Once again, she was in a place she couldn't recognize, and once again, she could not think of where she should have been.

Clarence smiled at the girl, who timidly looked from him to Giles, hoping to find a pleasant face.

"Tell me, child," Clarence said, "what is your name?"

"I think it's Alex."


	5. Chapter 5

Odette stared silently out the window, looking out over the lake, her eyes wandering from place to place, careful to avoid any spot that held any special memories of Alex, a practice she had been perfecting since Alex's disappearance. Twelve long years had passed since her kidnapping, and in that time, Odette had done her best to keep herself together, if only for the sake of her family.

Of course Odette missed Alex. She always would, just as she would always wonder what exactly became of her eldest daughter. But Alex's spot in Odette's heart had become an untouchable and secretive place, like a locked door that Odette just wanted to forget about. However, there were certain days, like Alex's birthday and the day she was kidnapped, when Odette would think back on Alex' short life and smile, knowing her daughter had received all the love six years with her family could possibly give her.

For Derek, it was hard to not blame himself for what happened. For years he lived with a secret guilt that on some occasions ate him up until he was forced to stay awake through the night. Sometimes his dreams would be plagued with Alex, Odette, and Zelda's faces, all of them asking why he didn't protect Alex better. Finally, all the guilt and regrets resided – or were pushed away – and he was able to go on with the parts of his life that weren't stolen from him; Odette, Eli, and Joan.

Eli never forgot his sister; his simple refusal would not allow for it. He was fiercely proud of what she had done and when he felt like he needed an example of courage, hers was the face he would think of. And when Joan was old enough to understand what Alex had done for her, she would beg and plead with Eli – who, for a time, harbored a small and unintentional resentment toward Joan, seeing as she was the one Alex had sacrificed herself for – for just one story about their older sister.

And while Alex's life was sometimes mourned, it was more often celebrated. Everyone in the family was just thankful she had existed and there might be a chance, no matter how slim, that somewhere, she still lived, waiting to come home.

XxX

"Come on and fight me!"

"I will, if you quit running away!"

"Knock it off!"

A tall brunette girl made her way to the center of a circle of excited children and grabbed the first two children, a pair of boys who were about to fight in the center of the circle. It was the classic situation – two contenders and a ring of instigators.

The girl was eighteen, with clear blue eyes and a beautiful face. She was slender, with wavy brown hair that fell down her back. She made her way swiftly to the center, standing straight and tall, overlooking the others. The entire circle fell silent with her approach.

"Who do you think you are, Alex?" the first boy demanded, angry that she had stopped him from exacting his revenge on the other boy, who had tried to steal a few gold coins, which he had stolen from a villager while he was not looking.

"Yeah, who died and made you queen?" the second boy said.

"I'm the one that's going to tear the both of you apart if you don't quit this senselessness. Edmund, if you wouldn't brag about every little trinket you have – and I don't even want to know how you acquired it this time – people wouldn't try to steal it. Henry, quit trying to antagonize people. It's immature. Grow up."

As if a signal went off, Edmund and Henry were suddenly on the same side. They couldn't stand Alex, simply for the fact that she was the only one around the orphanage who wouldn't tolerate disorder for very long. It was a well known, yet technically unofficial, fact that when Father Clarence wasn't around or was busy, Alex was in charge, and most of the children respected that unspoken rule.

Edmund and Henry, however, were very different. They hated authority in all forms, and they did everything they could to under mind it, especially Alex.

"What would you know about maturity and growing up?" Edmund asked. "You don't even have a clue who you were before you came here. You act like the princess, but the truth is, you don't have an idea."

"Yeah," Henry agreed. "For all you know, your mother was the embarrassing mistress to some drunk that prowled the street at night until a run away carriage hit them both. Or maybe…" Henry continued for a few minutes with filthy scenarios for Alex, each one worse and more offensive than the last. "I'll bet your mother was nothing more than a harlot and your father was a common beggar by day and a thief at night."

Somewhere along the way, Alex had had more than enough. She fought to keep her cool, to not completely unleash all different kinds of rage on these insolent boys.

In the end, she knew that they were, to a certain extent, right. She couldn't discount what they were saying, simply because it might be true. Her family and her memories had always been a touchy subject for her.

Since she was six years old when she arrived, it could be expected that she might remember some of who her family was. However, she could barely remember who she was, and even then, she only knew the bare essentials.

Several times, she had tried to remember something before coming to the orphanage; anything, a name, a face; anything that would help her identify herself and her family. But when she would try, she would be overcome by an extremely powerful headache that would persist for upwards of an hour, which is why she never vehemently chased her own identity.

Luckily, and not a moment too soon, two of Alex's friends joined her, and upon seeing Alex's frustration, the first, a blonde girl named Lydia, cast a stare that would stop an army at Edmund and Henry, who fidgeted nervously in her gaze.

"You two need to leave," Lydia growled. "Now."

The boys scampered fearfully away while Alex's other friend, a dark haired and olive skinned girl, named Mireia, spoke soothingly to her.

"Don't listen to them, Alex," Mireia said. "They don't know anything about you."

"And neither do I," Alex replied as she started to walk away. Mireia and Lydia loyally followed her.

The three had been friends since the moment they had laid eyes on each other. They were practically inseparable, a trait of friendship that was not common among quarrelsome orphans.

"Oh come on, Alex," Lydia said as she caught up. "You know _some _things."

"Yeah, I know the bare minimum; my name and my age. The rest of it… I just can't remember."

"Maybe there's a reason you don't remember," the always hopeful Mireia suggested. "Maybe it's all part of something big and important."

Alex shook her head. "What could be so big that it caused the loss of ninety-nine percent of my memories from before I came here, and why would it involve me?"

Neither Mireia nor Lydia had a definitive answer.

"The truth is; Edmund and Henry could be right. My mother could have been some harlot and my father a drunken beggar."

"Edmund and Henry are idiots and you know it," Lydia reminded her sharply. "Everyone here knows that _they'll_ be the drunken beggars when they finally leave this place."

Alex chuckled, somewhat comforted by her friend, who would no longer take any of Alex's moodiness.

"And Alex, everyone here also knows that, one of these days, you're going to be great," Mireia said.

"Great at what?" Alex asked. She could think of no real instant of talent or impressive act in her life – except for… no, never mind. That was the shadow of a forgotten memory; more a dream than an actual event. She couldn't even be sure it was real…

"Who knows? The point is; you are destined for something better than all this," Lydia said, waving her hand around the orphanage grounds for added emphasis.

Alex didn't speak. She had no words to tell them of what she truly thought of herself; a nameless, wandering soul that probably should have died years ago. It certainly didn't make any sense that she would be some kind of great achiever. Before she could think too deeply on this subject, the trio passed by Father Clarence's small hut, which served as his office when he was working, and upon seeing them, Father Clarence stood at his window and waved at Alex, signaling for her to speak with him.

She excused herself from her friends, walked up to the little cottage, and entered. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

Clarence smiled at her from behind his worn wooden desk. "At ease, soldier," he said jokingly.

He had always called her soldier because of her very respectful and courtly way of handling things, a trait that made him wonder even more about her family and where she came from. "Have a seat."

Alex did so and was somewhat ill at ease about it. There was something about Clarence's face that made her worry. She wondered what bad news he had for her.

"Alex, I'm afraid I'll have to be very straight to the point, as I am very busy."

Alex looked at his desk, which was covered in papers and maps and writing implements. She nodded for him to continue.

"The reason I've been so busy today is that I've been relocated."

"Relocated?" Alex repeated questioningly.

"I've been asked to go to Brookshire. Do you know where that is?"

"It's in another kingdom, sir."

"Yes. And there are more people in need there than here. Their monarchy isn't nearly as benevolent as the one here. They need my help, Alexandra."

Alex nodded. He rarely used her full name, and when he did, it was usually a matter of urgency or seriousness.

With Clarence leaving, she knew someone would have to take care of the orphanage in his absence. Why shouldn't it be her? "I can handle the orphanage, sir. Just leave it to me."

"No, Alex. There are better things, more important things, waiting for you, and none of them will find you if you remain here."

"More important things?" It was odd that he was repeating what her friends had been saying only a few minutes ago. She wondered why they all thought she was destined for greatness.

"I knew, the moment I laid eyes on you, Alexandra, that you didn't belong here. You were something more, something special. You glowed. And when you spoke and told me that you didn't know who you were, let alone who your family was, I was so heartbroken. I would have liked to see you returned to a family that loves you. That's where you belong; with a family that loves and cherishes you."

"I've got one here."

"In a small way, yes. Yes, you do. But I think it would be better for you to get out on your own when the time comes."

"But what am I supposed to do? What great thing am I supposed to be known for and why does everyone around here insist that I'll be the one to do it?"

"It's all about the decisions you'll make in life. You're still young, Alex. There is a lot of time for you to make amazing decisions and do great things. There is one question: What will Alexandra do? What move will she make next? There is no way to tell, save for waiting for it all to happen. I can only tell you to be brave when the moment comes, and if you can manage that, whatever decision you make will be the right one."

Alex was silent as she pondered his words. They had talked often of her future and of who she was. In the beginning, he would often ask if she could remember anything about her past, and he would then be the one who would comfort her when she could remember nothing. They had grown quite close over the years. It hurt Alex in many ways that he was leaving, but she knew that she could not change his mind. He would go where he was needed, and he was needed in Brookshire.

"Alex, my replacement will be here in two weeks, and I'll be leaving before she arrives. When I leave, you will be in charge, and when my replacement arrives, I expect you to make him or her comfortable here."

"Yes sir… I can handle this place, really I can."

"I know. But I want better for you."

She took that as a closing to the conversation. She walked the short distance to the door and opened it. Before walking away, she looked over her shoulder at the man who had taken special care of her since her arrival at the orphanage.

"Thank you, sir. Thank you for everything."


	6. Chapter 6

Derek smiled as he read the signature of the letter Rogers had just handed him.

"Good news?" Odette asked as she walked over.

"Matthew is coming for a visit in about two weeks," he replied, handing the letter to her.

"Eli will be happy to hear it."

"_I'm_ happy to hear it."

Odette laughed. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you and Matthew were the ones who have been friends since childhood, not you and Adelaide."

Derek's smile dropped a little, a bit saddened by his friend's not visiting. "Adelaide doesn't like to leave Lincolnshire anymore."

"And Camille doesn't like to leave him," Odette added glumly. She missed her friend, but she could understand why she wanted to be with Adelaide. If Odette was in that situation, she could not see herself acting differently.

"And can we really blame them, after Adelaide was ill for so long?" Derek asked, referring to a time, a few years before, when Adelaide was sick to the point of being bed-ridden. In fact, he hadn't really gained his strength back since he took ill, and for that reason, travel was very uncomfortable for him.

"Not at all. But at least Matthew visits. I enjoy having him."

As the years had passed since Alex's kidnapping, Matthew had been a constant caller, spending more of his time at Swan Lake than in Lincolnshire. Odette found herself wondering if it was because he missed Alex as much as the rest of the family, but wouldn't – or couldn't – admit it.

She remembered herself being awake at all hours of the night, searching for something that wasn't there.

She also found herself wondering what would have become of Matthew and Alex's relationship, had they been given the chance to grow up together.

But, whatever the reason, he visited often, and he and Eli had become best friends, despite the four year age difference.

Odette smiled, thinking of how much she would have loved for Alex to be apart of this ever evolving though always loving family.

XxX

The two weeks since Father Clarence spoke to Alex privately had flown by faster than Alex could keep track. Before she knew it, Clarence's replacement, a lady named Eleanor Diggs, had arrived.

"Alex, what if she's, you know, not like Father Clarence?" Mireia asked her the afternoon before Lady Diggs' arrival.

"Well, there's no one like Father Clarence," Alex said. Catching the nervous look on Mireia's face, Alex flew into a mode of reassurance. "Don't worry. Whatever happens, I'll handle it, okay?"

"You always say things like that."

"I should think you'd be used to it by now. No fear."

Unfortunately, Lady Diggs – who, in Alex's opinion, was no lady – was not as kind and caring as Father Clarence. She had only agreed to take over the orphanage in an attempt to better her reputation among her peers, who also saw the greedy, cold woman she was.

It was apparent to Alex, from the moment Lady Diggs set foot inside the orphanage, that the lady did not only dislike children, she loathed them.

However, Alex gave the undeserving woman the benefit of the doubt and politely introduced herself.

"Hello, my name is Alex, and I was told to be expecting you," she said politely, smiling in her subtle, charming way.

Instead of being polite, or even civil, for that matter, Lady Diggs shoved her lugged into Alex's unready arms and stomped past her. "Good. Take those up to my room. And don't drop any of it."

Alex was so stunned she could only choke out a simple 'yes ma'am.'

After the task was done, Alex returned to the foyer downstairs to find Lady Diggs wandering about the orphanage, looking at every nook and cranny.

"Perhaps I could help you, ma'am?" Alex offered.

"Yes. Drag those rotten children down here. It's time they met their new master. And by the way, how on earth am I supposed to get any work done with all this racket? It's maddening!"

Alex listened for a moment and could hear no sounds that were out of the ordinary for the dangerously overcrowded old orphanage. Laughter, chatter, and running feet filled the old place.

Reluctantly, she went upstairs to gather everyone. Although the children naturally had many questions about the new director, she didn't answer them. She didn't want them to be scared and, more importantly, she wanted them to form their own, unbiased opinion about the woman.

As everyone filed downstairs, Lady Diggs stood at the end of the staircase. She watched each child go by, with Alex at the end of the line. It immediately struck Lady Diggs and Alex at the same time that there would be great amounts of friction between them. And although Alex did not want to leave her friends behind, she knew the time for her final departure was fast approaching, and its passing had just been made faster by the arrival of Lady Diggs.

As everyone grouped up in the foyer, Lady Diggs walked in front of them, eying them.

"My name is Eleanor Diggs," she announced. "And that's Lady Diggs to you. I have several rules and expectations for you and you will meet them, or there will be terrible punishment."

Alex could feel the collective tension of everyone in the room, save for Lady Diggs, increase. They had rarely ever heard the word 'punishment,' since Father Clarence had been such a kind man.

"You will not speak out of turn," Lady Diggs went on. "You will do as I say, when and where I say it. Noise will be kept to a minimum, and there will be no supper for those who choose to disobey me. Is that understood?"

As everyone nodded, except for Alex, who retained her pride, Lady Diggs grimaced.

"I can't hear you!" she bellowed.

"Yes, Lady Diggs," the children chorused half heartedly, to her smug satisfaction.

At that moment, Alex remembered a feeling from the life she couldn't remember that pertained to the moment at hand: despair.

XxX

For the next few nights, Alex would lie awake for hours, hating the abrupt change in her life. Lady Diggs was cruel, making the orphans work from sunrise to sunset, constantly cleaning, never resting. And if the jobs were not done to her satisfaction, Lady Diggs had several methods for dealing with so-called trouble makers.

It made Alex long more and more to be in the life she couldn't remember, the one from before she had come to the orphanage.

It was like an empty hole that grew and grew with every day that passed. Alex knew something, some big part of her life that she could not identify, was missing, but she couldn't find what it was. And with Lady Diggs, Alex felt like the hole caused her more pain than before.

There was something in Alex that screamed the idea that she did not belong in an orphanage, but there was no proof, even if her friends also knew that she didn't belong.

And as good and kind as they were, Lydia and Mireia could never understand her feelings. They could never understand her sense of being in the wrong place but not knowing what was right.

However, she was given a clue one night as she was just about to fall asleep. When her eyes closed, her mind was suddenly flooded with the image of a swan. She knew it meant something. She had seen swans, of course, but this was different. There was something about this swan that made it… magical.

And as much as she wondered about it and hoped it would bring her closer to remembering her past, it didn't. And, as usual, the more she thought about it, the more her head hurt, until her mind was trapped in a pain that was inescapable and she was no longer able to think on it.

She drifted into a very uneasy sleep, thinking and dreaming of nothing but swans.

The next morning filled Alex with a need to escape like she had never felt before.

She knew the swans were a big clue to her past, and she certainly wasn't going to find the rest of the clues at the orphanage. And to be honest, she would have left long before, if it weren't for her protective reluctance to leave her friends.

However, that day was different. She had to leave.

She passed the day cleaning everything she could see, working as hard as she could to leave as little work behind as possible. Never before has she completed the tasks with such single minded conviction. Even Mireia and Lydia noticed, and they knew what it meant.

The day faded quickly into a dark, moonless night. Alex waited up with the younger children and told them a story before they went to sleep. As soon as just about everyone was asleep, Alex made her way back to her own bed and waited.

Sometime in the night, she started to pack what few belongings she had. Although she was trying to be as silent as possible, she was approached by Lydia and Mireia, who apparently heard the springs of the bed bouncing and squeaking.

"Alex, where are you going?" Lydia asked candidly.

"I've got to leave," Alex replied simply.

"But you can't leave, what about Lady Diggs?" Mireia tried to reason. It was easy to see she was worried about Alex, but Alex had her mind set, and there was no changing it.

"If she wants to stop me, she'll have to kill me," Alex said simply. "Look, you and Father Clarence have been saying for years that I don't belong hear. And I'm starting to finally believe it. I've got to find my past."

"How?" Lydia asked. "You don't have any real clues, and every time you so much as think of it, you get a huge headache and you're worthless for an entire hour." Although Lydia's words were hard – yet true – she meant well. Lydia had led a rough life, leaving her with no friends until she was finally placed in the orphanage with Alex and Mireia. It truly hurt her to think of Alex leaving.

"I know. But I have to trust my own instinct." Alex smiled, guessing the reason behind Lydia's harshness. "Just like you have to. Listen, if I didn't believe I could find my family, I'd stay. But I'm sure if I look hard enough and find things that jog my memory, I can find them."

"What about everyone here?" Mireia asked.

"Translation: what about us?" Lydia added.

"You can handle yourselves. And I know you can handle the other kids here. I have a lot of faith in the two of you. Besides, this might not even be goodbye forever. We'll see each other again. I'm sure of it."

"How are you going to support yourself? You haven't got a penny to your name."

"I can find a job. I'll get a job at an inn or something. It won't be so hard."

"You've got a lot of confidence, I'll give you that much," Lydia muttered. She tried to think of something else to say for a moment, but soon gave up. "Well, we're obviously not going to change your mind. So, I guess all I can say is; good luck."

"Yeah, I hope you find everything you're looking for," Mireia said.

"Thank you," Alex said.

Alex waited for a few more hours before sunrise to leave the dormitory she shared with about a third of the other orphans. Silently, she opened the door, which thankfully didn't squeak as it normally did. She treaded lightly down the stairs and made it to the front door without making a sound.

"This is it," she whispered to herself as she put her hand on the door's old brass handle. It felt cool in her hands and, strangely, feeling it gave her a strange sense of excitement and adventure. She was not coming back. Never again would she be put in such a painful place of loss and loneliness, for not even in the company of her friends did she ever feel like she completely fit in.

She knew she acted differently from everyone else, and she always took it to be a remnant of her past life. And now that she was finally leaving, maybe that past life would give her a better future.

She opened the door and walked out, free at last.


	7. Chapter 7

It didn't take long for Alex to realize that she had no plan. Of course, she never really was the kind of person to come up with an elaborate idea when things got rough. Simply stated, she had to leave, so she ran away. The fact that she had no place to go was secondary to everything else on her mind.

But there was one clue.

"Swans," she mumbled for the thousandth time.

After saying it for the thousandth and first time, she realized she had made it to a road that would either take her to Brookshire and the other one would take her to-

"Swan Lake… of course. That has to be what that dream meant."

She had been there – or at least in the neighboring village – a few times. When the orphanage needed supplies, it was usually her job to go out and buy – at the lowest price possible, due to a restricted budget – everything that was needed. Because it was the closest town with a large market place, the village near Swan Lake was her constant destination, and she even knew a few people there.

She thought about the huge castle that towered over the lake.

"No way," she muttered as she shook her head. She knew that they couldn't be her family, though it was pretty interesting to think about what would happen if she was. But then again, what orphan didn't picture herself as a forgotten member of royalty?

Still, it was fun to dream, but the reality was much more important.

Alex started to walk and she started to plan.

XxX

Derek, Odette, Eli, and Joan waited at the gate to greet Matthew the moment of his arrival. Excited, he began to open the carriage door before it was even stopped. He jumped down and walk hurriedly up to his friends, his family away from family.

"Glad you could come," Derek said.

"Glad to be here," Matthew replied.

"Ready to get whipped on the obstacle course this year?" Eli asked good naturedly.

"No. Are you?"

"There'll be time for that later," Odette said. "Matthew, why don't you rest for a while? I know you've been crammed in a carriage all morning."

"Always taking care of me," Matthew laughed.

As much as he loved his parents, Matthew had often felt his place was at Swan Lake. It was a feeling he could not entirely understand, but he obeyed it. Although he would never have admitted it twelve years before, he loved being there, although there was one person perpetually missing.

This time, he had come a day before the Festival Days, which were celebrated at the beginning of every fall. They were filled with good food, games, singing, dancing, and all around merriment for royal and peasant alike. And it lasted a week, which gave everyone time to sample everything that was there.

Matthew had been coming every year since he was a small boy. He always had fun dunking Bromley, who was year after year volunteered to sit on a collapsible chair – which was rigged to drop when someone hit a nearby target with a ball – above a barrel of water. He and Eli would thoroughly enjoy themselves – so long as they weren't force to 'babysit' Joan – as they meandered through the grounds, and even making a few trips to the kissing booths.

And of course, there was the obstacle course, which provided a huge amount of entertainment and competition for Matthew and Eli. And every year, it was dubbed by Derek to be the best that was ever built. They would spend entire days running it over and over again, trying doggedly to beat each other's time. They would go from morning to night, working themselves to exhaustion and not even caring.

Matthew looked forward to a long and exciting week away from Lincolnshire.

And he had another reason for coming. Lately – and he didn't know if it was because of his coming of age and the fact that he had not chosen a bride yet – he had been thinking about Alex. He knew how they acted toward each other when they were young, but those were childish times; he wasn't really supposed to like her then. But now, it was different. He found himself wondering what it would have been like if she hadn't been kidnapped.

And the thoughts and memories of her would grow more frequent each time he would meet a new princess from a new land. Somehow, he would find something wrong with the poor girl, although he was always a gentleman about it. It's not that these girls weren't good enough; they simply weren't right for him, and he didn't want to marry just anyone. He wanted The One. The princesses always seemed to lack a certain spark and Matthew would wonder if Alex had it.

But it was a thought born from circumstance, he would think. Had Alex not been kidnapped, he probably wouldn't miss her when he was away. He wouldn't wonder about her.

And yet he, like everyone else, wondered about her.

XxX

It didn't take Alex more than an hour or so to reach the town, although it would have been faster if she had the horse and wagon the orphanage would use to bring back supplies. She felt a surge of excitement when she saw the smoke stacks from the chimneys touch the blue sky.

When she arrived, she could see that the town was alive with people going about their business; merchants calling out their wares, women gossiping, children playing; all of it so normal, and yet to Alex, so abnormal.

However, there was one place that was familiar to her. It was an inn owned by one of her friends, who had stayed at the orphanage until about a year before Lady Diggs' arrival.

She made her way to about the middle of the town, keeping an eye out for the inn. It was fairly easy to find by the smell of food and noise of customers coming from it.

As she walked in and looked around, it was easy to see the place was very busy. Every table was full and even the empty floor space was crammed with people, some patrons of the inn, some waitresses trying to move around the customers.

She waited for a while before trying to find her friend. As soon as the place was cleared out – for the most part, anyway – she went to the kitchen, which was filled with the smells of food and the sounds of pots and pans clattering against each other.

"Bax!" she called, cupping one hand around her mouth for a slightly theatrical effect that would more than certainly get his attention. "Baxter!"

"Oh come on, Alex!" he called back, his voice mocking exasperation, matching her theatrics. He made his way to the door and gave his friend a bear hug. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

Baxter was tall and wide, like a wall. He had never been fat, just big, with small black eyes and brown hair. He had a great rumbling laugh and a booming voice that reverberated off the walls.

He stood tall over her, smiling down. It had been a long time since he had seen her, and he was truly happy to see that she was in town.

"Too busy for me?" she asked, gasping for air.

"You've got a point. Let me look at you... Hmmm... Tall... same blue eyes and long brown hair... No, you haven't changed a bit!" he laughed. "Come on, let's talk out in the dining room. Do you need anything?"

"Only to talk to you."

Baxter led the way to an empty, clean table. He smiled in expectation for an interesting story as they both took their seats. "What's this all about? You never leave the orphanage, and when you do, you never stop to chat."

She laughed. He was right. She rarely ever left, and when she did, she was careful to hurry back. "Well, I left the orphanage."

"Well, now you can knock me out with a feather," he laughed. "Are you serious?"

"Yes," she answered. She explained everything, including her dreams and what Lydia, Mireia, and Father Clarence had said, that had been going on at the orphanage, especially Lady Diggs.

He lifted his eyebrows in astonishment. "She sounds like a pain in the"

"Yeah," she agreed, cutting him off. "Anyway, I kind of need a place to stay."

"Well, you know you're welcome to any of the rooms here."

"Yeah, but I don't know how long I'll be here, and I don't want to be a burden or anything."

She hated the idea of staying at the inn for nothing. It just went against what she believed. She wanted to earn her keep like everyone else.

"You? A burden? Don't make me laugh, Alex."

She rolled her eyes. "I'll make you a deal; I'll work here in exchange for a room."

"Oh, come on. You're like a little sister to me. I can't let you actually work for me."

"Please? I'd feel bad if I just mooched off of you."

"Okay, but let me pay you a little bit so you have some extra money, okay?

"Fine," she said, smiling. "By the way, what were all those people here for?"

"The Festival Days start tomorrow. People come in droves to have a good time. It starts tomorrow. Have you ever gone?"

"No."

"Then go. It really is a lot of fun. You'll enjoy yourself."

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, big brother."


	8. Chapter 8

As promised, Alex worked with Baxter for the rest of the night, from helping him cook, to serving guests, to cleaning up after lunch and dinner.

Also as promised, in exchange for her help, Alex was given a room.

Despite her protest – she didn't want Baxter to lose any money by helping her – he gave her the nicest room, which included a view of the castle's highest towers that cast their shadows over the lake. Alex smiled as she saw several swans fly past the tower.

As she lay in bed, waiting for sleep that night, Alex thought on her decision to leave the orphanage. She knew she had to leave if she had any hope of finding her family, but still, she wondered if it was the right decision and if the others were ready to be without her.

"They'll be fine," she assured herself half heartedly. "They have to be."

And there was, of course, still the dream about swans that didn't seem to make much sense. She'd never thought much about swans. They were always just there, but now they seem to carry a bigger importance.

The problem was; she didn't know what that importance was.

XxX

The next day brought sunshine and a lot of noise.

Alex looked out the window to see people crowding the edge of the festival closest to the town as King Derek gave a speech about being happy to open the Festival Days for another great year.

As soon as he was done speaking, the crowd moved into the grounds and began making all kinds of merry racket. Knowing Baxter would be upstairs at any moment to practically shove her out the door, Alex quickly got dressed.

Baxter had been on his way up to meet her when she exited her room. Before she could close the door, he was already badgering her to leave.

"Come on, you don't want to miss it!"

He grabbed her hand and half dragged her down the stairs and out the door before she had time to respond. Together they entered the festival grounds, which were filled with people and booths full of different attractions.

Alex had never seen such an assortment of things in one place, which proved to her that she needed to get out more often, something Baxter had been telling her since her arrival the day before.

Since the day she was brought to the orphanage, she and Baxter had acted like brother and sister. Sometimes they bickered and once in a while they fought, but it never took long for them to forgive each other. And although they could never love each other as more than a good friend, there was always a hefty fine for anyone who messed with the two.

Before long, Baxter had to get back to the inn and attend to things there, but he bid her stay and enjoy the festivities.

For a while, Alex wandered around, not sure what to do with herself. Baxter had already shown her his favorite things to do, which, unsurprisingly for a man his size, all had something to do with the consumption of sweets.

But she wasn't hungry, just lost.

Before she could give up and go back to the inn, she came across a dunking chair, which was a good thing, considering Baxter would never allow her to stay inside during the first of the Festival Days. The man sitting on the chair looked afraid.

Something about him triggered a distant memory of Alex's. She stared at the man, taking in his appearance. He had brown hair, cut choppily down to his ears, and was a very round man with skinny legs. He had a button nose and small green eyes that seemed to scream out the fear in him. And there was something oddly familiar about him…

She looked to the younger man who was trying to dunk him.

He was, to say the least, very good looking. He was the classic 'tall dark and handsome' archetype for men his age. He was well built, an obvious athlete, who was, at the moment, missing the target on purpose. He too was very familiar, like a glimpse of a dream.

"I told you I'd go easy on you, Brom," he laughed when he had only one ball left to throw at the target.

Brom? Short for Bromley… Alex knew this. She had met this man before, but she wasn't sure where or when.

"Th-thanks, Matthew," Bromley stuttered as he watched Matthew menacingly toss the ball and catch it in his right hand repeatedly.

"But maybe the lady would like to try," Matthew said when he noticed Alex standing nearby. He tossed the ball to her. She caught it, glad she hadn't embarrassed herself by dropping it. She looked at him and for an odd moment, their eyes held. "Have we met before?" he asked, confused as she was.

"No, I don't think so."

"Déjà vu," I suppose, he muttered. Suddenly, his mind snapped back to the moment at hand. He stepped aside and politely motioned for Alex to throw the ball.

"Okay," Alex agreed, moving over to where Matthew had been standing.

Her aim was accurate, and with an instant, Bromley was falling into a tub of cold water. He quickly came up for air, spitting out water and sputtering air. "G-good shot."

Matthew laughed good-naturedly. "Take a break, Bromley. Dry off and relax. There's still six more days left."

Both Matthew and Alex chuckled as Bromley groaned.

"I'm afraid I didn't catch your name," Matthew said, smiling, as he turned his attention to Alex.

"Alexandra, Alex for short."

Matthew was taken aback by her name for a moment, but he was able to regain his composure before she noticed anything. "Is there a last name?"

"No. I don't have a family."

"I'm sorry. My name is Matthew, Prince Matthew, to be completely honest."

Stunned, Alex dropped a quick curtsey. "Pleased to meet you, your majesty."

"Please," he said, waving his hand a little. "It's just Matthew to friends… and gorgeous girls."

Alex blushed for a moment and turned away to hide it.

As she was gathering herself, Matthew found himself strangely interested in this girl, something that did not often occur.

"Would you like to walk with me?"

Alex nodded, the only response she trusted herself with. They walked wordlessly for a few minutes before Alex broke the silence.

"You said 'to be honest' when you told me you're a prince. Why?"

"Because it's harder to make friends when everyone thinks they're not worthy of being with you," he replied. Isn't calling me Matthew easier to deal with than 'your highness?'"

She nodded. "It _is _a lot less awkward."

He smiled. "Is this your first time coming to the Festival Days? I've never seen you here before and I come every year."

"Yes, it is my first time. My friend was pushing me out the door to get me to come. And I'm glad I came." The last was unintentionally spoken. She wondered if he would take it as she had meant it – that she had just met a handsome prince. Truly it was a little embarrassing. She blushed again.

He grinned. "I'm glad you came too."

"There's just so much. What do you do when you come?"

"Well, I enjoy the obstacle course, as does my friend, Prince Eli. And of course, there's the dunking chair, which you seemed to be familiar with."

"Just a lucky shot," she said modestly.

He chuckled. "Then there's the talent show."

"Talent show?"

"Yes. There's singing and dancing and just about everything else you can think of. Tell me, do you dance at all?"

"I don't dance."

"Darn."

"But I do sing… a little."

"You should sign up for the competition. It's great fun."

"I don't think I'm that good."

He laughed. "Remember when I said 'just about everything else you can think of?' I meant it. I've seen a lot of thinks that cannot be un-seen on that stage. I would be willing to bet your singing is better than Chef Frederick's omelet juggling."

Alex giggled. "Omelet juggling?"

"Yes. See? You won't lose to him, anyway."

Alex thought about it for a moment. What was there to lose by signing up? "Aright. Count me in. I'll sign up."

"Perfect." He suddenly looked from her to a young man who was waiting about thirty feet ahead. Behind him, Alex could see what was probably the obstacle course. Matthew turned back to her and pointed to the left. "I hope you will excuse me, but I myself have a competition to win. The sign up table is over there. The shows start tomorrow, and the final judging will be the last day of the Festival."

"Thank you. Good luck."

XxX

Alex made it to the sign up table without getting lost, something she was rather proud of herself for. There was a line, but a short one. Alex took her place at the end of it and waited for a short time for the woman at the table take down everyone's name.

When she reached the second spot in line, Alex recognized the woman to be royalty; by the way she spoke and dressed. In all likelihood, Alex would soon be face to face with Queen Odette herself, something she would not have dreamed of two days ago.

Then it was Alex's turn.

"Your name?" Odette asked before she looked up.

"Alex."

Odette's head snapped up quickly in surprise. She was shocked to see the girl standing before her was… No. She couldn't be. True, the girl had Derek's shade of brown hair. And looking at her was like looking in a mirror, had Odette been born brunette. But it couldn't be… Could it?

The feeling was mutual for Alex. She could remember that wavy blonde hair and the kind blue eyes. The structure of Odette's face was nigh identical to her own. This was the third time that day she had recognized people, but couldn't remember from where.

"Last name?" Odette choked out at last.

"No, ma'am." Alex was more than stunned. She closed her eyes for a short moment and opened them again. "Orphan," she added.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Please, don't be. It happened about twelve years ago. I'm not really sure how, but I'm sure of the time."

Odette smiled. Twelve years? That put Alex's loss of her parents at the same time of her daughter's kidnapping. But wouldn't this girl, if she was Odette's Alex, recognize her own mother? But… No. It wasn't Alex. Alex was long dead, and this girl was just a strange coincidence.

But there was so much evidence! The hair, the eyes, the face; all of it pointed to that possibility that Alex was, indeed, still alive after all these years. Could it even be possible?

Odette snapped back into reality, not wanting things to become awkward again.

"What is your talent?"

"I sing," Alex replied, smiling shyly.

"Oh. Have you ever competed before?"

"No, ma'am."

"Don't be nervous. I'm sure you'll do well."

"No fear."


	9. Chapter 9

After Odette gave Alex the time for her performance, which was later that afternoon, she stared as Alex, who was fighting the urge to look back for one last glimpse, walked away.

Seeing Alex, again, if it was truly _her_ Alex, surprised Odette to an indescribable extent. She needed to think. Fortunately, Joan was walking nearby.

"Joan," she called. "Can you take over here?" Odette knew her voice was shaky.

"Sure, mother," Joan replied as she walked over. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no. Everything's fine." Odette's lie failed horribly, but Joan didn't ask any more questions. For Odette to act this flustered meant something very important had just happened, and she didn't want to make a possibly bad situation worse.

Odette walked far away from the grounds before allowing her carefully composed face to drop.

She was torn in two directions. Part of her insisted that Alex was dead. And yet, the other half of her screamed that the girl she had just talked to was Alex, _her _Alex.

In fact, all the evidence was stacked in the latter half's favor. The girl had Derek's hair and Odette's face. She was a singer, and singing was something everyone in the family did well. In fact, her voice was familiar, reminding Odette of her own.

Then there was the amount of time she had been an orphan; twelve years. Alex had been gone for twelve years, give or take a few months. They had recognized each other, although they weren't sure of the identity of the other. There was the 'no fear' attitude, which Alex had displayed since practically the day she was born.

Was it possible then, that Zelda hadn't killed Alex and that Alex had found her way back somehow?

XxX

"Who was the girl you were with earlier?" Eli asked Matthew when they finally decided to stop challenging each other to rematches on the obstacle course.

"Just a girl that I met," Matthew answered carefully, not wanting to make Eli think he had been talking to his long gone sister.

"She looked familiar. Is she a princess?"

Matthew choked on the answer. "I thought she looked familiar too," he said, sidestepping the question a bit. "But I wasn't sure where I met her."

"What's her name? Maybe I'll remember."

"Her name is Alex."

Eli stared at Matthew for a long, intense moment. "What?"

"Her name is Alex," Matthew repeated. "And I know; it's weird."

"Do you think she could be…?" Eli trailed off, almost afraid to finish his question.

"I don't know. She looked just like your mother, with your father's hair. She seemed to recognize Bromley and me. And she sings, or so she says."

Eli thought a moment. He was stunned. "Are you going to meet her again later?"

"I don't know. I didn't make arrangements. But she did sign up for the talent show. We could check what time she's going on with your mother so we can get another look."

"Good plan. Let's go."

Eli and Matthew tried to be as nonchalant as possible, hoping partly to see Alex, and at the same time hoping not. If they were wrong, if Matthew's eyes were only playing tricks on him after he heard her name, not to mention the fact that Eli couldn't see her at first, as she was too far away, it would be a huge disappointment. Although they hadn't acknowledged it within themselves or each other, they had gotten their hopes up. In some small way, they were counting on the mystery girl to be Alex.

There was a lot at stake for each other.

Eli had lost a sister, and seeing his parents so depressed and upset throughout the years made it that much worse.

Matthew's was a more difficult loss to understand. It wasn't a question of seeing his parents depressed, although they were greatly saddened for Odette and Derek's loss, as anyone would be. But it was a question of what could have been. He still wondered about her, wondered if he really disliked her as much as he thought he did or if it had been just a strange attraction that they fought tooth and nail to deny and disprove.

And speaking of disprove – there was the sign up table.

Unfortunately, Odette wasn't sitting at it.

Matthew and Eli walked over, confused and more than a little worried.

"Oh no," Matthew muttered.

"What?" Eli asked.

"I didn't think about your mother. I mean, I sent Alex over without thinking about whether or not it would upset her."

"'Oh no' is right, then."

They waited for a moment when there was a break in the line. Joan didn't seem to be completely into her work, which wasn't surprising, but still not a good sign.

"Where's mother?" Eli asked when he walked up.

"She walked off that way," Joan replied, pointing to her right, away from the festival. "She seemed upset."

"Great," Matthew grumbled, a little angry with himself for upsetting Odette.

"Guys, is something wrong?" Joan asked.

"Forget it," Eli said as he and Matthew hurriedly walked away in Odette's direction.

"I hate when you guys don't tell me anything!"

Eli and Matthew ignored her as they hurried off. They found Odette on thelake shore, staring at the water.

"Uh, Mother?" Eli called.

She turned to him, quickly wiping a tear from her eye. Matthew felt a quick twinge of guilt. "You saw her too, didn't you?" she asked.

"Yes," Matthew answered guiltily. "I did, anyway. Eli only got a glimpse of her from far away. I was the one who told her to sign up. I'm sorry if it upset you… and it looks like it did."

"You talked to her?"

"For a while, yes."

"We were wondering what time she's performing tomorrow," Eli said. "I want to get a better look at her."

"This afternoon," Odette replied. "She's the last one to go on."

"Do you think it's her?" Matthew asked candidly.

"I'm really not sure."

XxX

The afternoon passed quickly for all involved. Derek and Joan, although they had come to watch, didn't have the benefit of having things fully explained to them, but Eli, Odette, and Matthew agreed that it would be better not to influence their thoughts on seeing Alex.

Odette, Eli, and Matthew stood on one side of the audience, at the back. Derek and Joan stood opposite, not expecting anything out of the ordinary. They chatted for a while, not paying attention to the girl on the stage who held Odette, Eli, and Matthew's intense and undivided attention.

Finally, just as the sun was setting, it was Alex's turn to sing.

She gracefully took the stage, glad someone had cleaned it up after Frederick's omelet fiasco. There was a small crowd, not much bigger than the children who would gather around her as she sang at the orphanage.

Knowing there was no time left to prepare, she took a deep breath and began to sing.

"_Far longer than forever  
I'll hold you in my heart  
It's almost like you're here with me  
Although we're far apart_

Far longer than forever  
As constant as a star  
I close my eyes and I am where you are

Sure as the dawn brings the sunrise  
We've an unshakable bond  
Destined to last for a lifetime and beyond"

Odette's eyes widened in surprise. "That song has never left this family," she whispered to Eli and Matthew, who were every bit as shocked as she was. From the other side of the audience, Odette could see Derek glancing first from Alex then to her and back again.

"_Far longer than forever  
I swear that I'll be true  
I've made an everlasting vow  
To find a way to you_

_Far longer than forever  
Like no love ever known  
and with your love  
I'll never be alone"_

There was no doubt that Alex could sing. To Derek, she sounded just like Odette. He hadn't really been paying attention before, but now that he was watching the girl, he could see she looked like Odette.

Joan stared at Alex. She knew, of course, that Alex had been kidnapped. She even had a pretty good idea of what her sister looked like. Seeing her family so flustered and excited made her wonder if she might finally be able to meet her big sister.

_"Far longer than forever  
Much stronger than forever  
and with your love  
I'll never be alone"_

After the song was finished and the crowd erupted into unanimous applause, Derek and Joan made their way quickly over to Odette, Eli, and Matthew.

"How did she know that song?" Derek asked animatedly.

"There's no way she could have, unless…" Matthew trailed off.

"Derek, it's her," Odette said, sure of herself now. She gave him all the other evidence, which amazed him more and more as she went on. "It has to be her."

"Odette, I think you're right," Derek said. "How are we going to tell her?"

"I'll talk to her."

"Wait. What if we're wrong?" Joan asked.

"We're not."


	10. Chapter 10

Odette caught up with Alex as she was going home for the night.

Hearing the footsteps Alex turned around, standing straight up as she strained to see who was following her.

"Alex?" a voice called through the darkness.

Recognizing it as Odette's, Alex calmed herself. "Ma'am?"

"You don't have to call me that," Odette said as she caught up.

Taken aback by Odette's friendliness, but not wanting to be rude, Alex inclined her head a little as Odette reached her. "Did you need something?"

"Well, I wanted to tell you how well you did at the talent show."

"Thank you."

Alex was sure this wasn't the only thing Odette wanted to say, otherwise she would have waited for the next day, and the next time they happened upon each other. No one, especially a queen, would bother chasing Alex in the dark just to tell her she did a good job, or so Alex thought.

"And I wanted to ask you a question, if that's alright."

"Ask me anything."

"Well, I was wondering," Odette began slowly, "if you knew there is a story behind the song you sang."

"Yes. I know the story very well, in fact."

Odette let her hopes get up. Her eyes brightened as she asked her next question. "And where did you hear it?"

Alex frowned a little, disappointed with herself once again. "I honestly don't remember."

Odette nodded. "I know the story too. I told it to my children when they were small."

"With all due respect, ma'am, why are you telling me this?"

"Because that song and that story have never left my family. We're the only ones who know it."

"And you're wondering how I know them, right?"

"Yes, but I think I know why. Alex, you're my daughter."

Alex's eyes widened. "What? No way! It's impossible. It's not true… it's…"

She was shocked and confused. She had been alone most of her life, although she was surrounded by other people. She never felt she fit in with the others. Everyone she knew was sure she didn't belong at the orphanage. Father Clarence wholeheartedly believed she was loved by someone, and whoever it was still loved her.

"Alex, there is evidence; the song, the story, the familiarity. You look just like me, but with your father's hair."

"But it just doesn't make any sense! If I'm yours, and you're mine, where have I been? Why don't I recognize you?"

"You did. Remember?"

"I know, but I didn't recognize you as my mother."

"But you recognized me. You knew that I was a part of a life you couldn't remember."

Alex started to cry a little, a mix of frustration and disappointment. "But why can't I remember?"

"I don't know," Odette admitted.

Honestly, Alex wanted to tell Odette that she believed her, but she just couldn't. To Alex, there was not yet enough proof. She wished so desperately that she could remember her life before the orphanage. Anything would do. But there was nothing. She had no idea where she was from and who she belonged to. For the first time in her life, she felt hindered by her lack of memory, and it hurt.

She leaned against a nearby tree, lowered her head, and closed her eyes.

"I suppose it would make sense," Alex whispered.

"What?"

"When I was a kid, I used to be kind of the leader amongst my friends. They pretty much did whatever I asked of them. Then Father Clarence, the man who pretty much raised me, said I didn't belong in an orphanage. I was destined for greatness. I didn't understand when he told me, but I think he knew, but couldn't prove it. He wanted better for me because he knew…"

"Alex, do you trust me?"

Alex looked back up at Odette, a little startled by her candid question, and smiled a little. "Yes."

"Good. I promise, I'll help you find your family, even if it's not mine, but, Alex, I'm more than sure that you're my daughter. You belong with us."

Alex cast her head uncomfortably away from Odette's loving and hopeful gaze. "You seem so certain, even when I'm not. And it's not that I don't want to believe; it's just that I don't want to be what I'm not." She turned back to Odette and met her with two serious eyes that matched Odette's. "I don't want to disappoint you. But if you believe, then I will too. I'll try, for you."

Although the words sounded confident, Alex was not. She still was unsure about all this, and she didn't want to come so far to be wrong. What if she was? It would be heart breaking. But being something she wasn't was, to her, a lot worse than being alone.

Odette smiled, gladdened. She was even more pleased when Alex seemed to have dropped the front she had been holding up since they began talking. Alex smiled, a mirror image of Odette's, but more reserved, held back. How could she not be her daughter?

"And I'll help you remember, and so will the rest of the family. Come, I'll introduce you to the others. Your father has been excited to see you since you sang on stage."

Alex obliged, silently letting Odette lead the way to the castle. She stared ponderously at the woman ahead of her. Something in her mind clicked, reminding her for a brief instant of Odette's blonde hair… It was familiar. She immediately knew that her mother, whether it was Odette or not, was blonde.

Moving a little faster to catch up to Odette's side, Alex voiced a question she had been wondering about for years. "What happened to me?"

Alex felt a little pang of guilt when Odette's expression became one of sadness and loss. "Well, it's a long story. Do you remember a villainess called Zelda."

Alex thought on it a moment. "Vaguely. I remember that she was the one who stole the notes and held the princessfor ransom, the ransom being the missing section of the notes that the prince tore off. Then, when she got the missing piece, she tried to kill the princess with a fireball, but the prince beat Zelda just after the fireball hit her. When the prince finally burned the notes, the princess came back."

It saddened Odette to know that Alex wasn't able to remember enough of her past to realize that the princess was her and the prince was Derek. There must have been a lot missing, more than Odette thought at first. Helping Alex remember was going to be harder than she thought it would be.

"And so did Zelda," Odette added quietly, regretting what happened to Alex.

Alex frowned, unable to concentrate because of the sudden pain in her head. It was the familiar pain that occurred when she started to remember or even think of things from her past, like someone was hitting her in the head with a hammer. She rubbed her forehead, stopping in her place.

Concerned, Odette turned around and waited. "Is there something wrong?"

"Just a headache. It usually happens when I start investigating my past."

"Does this happen a lot?"

"No, not really. The last time happened when… when I dreamed of swans." Alex moved her hand. "That's why I came here. I thought the swans were important somehow. What better place for swans than Swan Lake?" She gasped, her head hurting even more.

"Alex!" Odette called, concerned.

"The sooner we get there, the better. This should be over with in an hour. I'll be alright." She caught up to Odette. "Seeing you now, if you really are my mother… it's strange."

"Yes, it is. We've waited a long time to see each other, haven't we?"

"You've probably waited longer," Alex said guiltily.

"How so?"

"Because I gave up. I made myself immune to the idea of ever seeing my mother again. One day, I finally decided I was never going to see my family again. I just gave up."

Odette didn't know what to say to this, so she was glad when they reached the castle's entrance. "We're here. Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

Alex and Odette entered the foyer of the castle, where four people waited patiently for them. When the door opened, every eye that was cast to the ground in anticipation flew to Alex, excited to see her up close. The walked over to meet her. Alex, although nervous, was very happy to see such friendly faces.

"Alex, do you remember them?" Odette asked.

"Yes, but only vaguely, like faces from a dream."

What Alex didn't say was that she could remember only small things about each of there faces, like Derek's eyes and Eli's smile. Joan was much more difficult to recognize, as the last time they had seen each other was when Joan was just about two months old. Even Odette's face was just barely familiar, recognizable by only the blonde hair.

Derek stepped forward. "Alex, I'm your father."

Eli and Joan followed. Odette introduced them. "Alex, this is your younger brother, Eli, and your younger sister, Joan."

Lastly, Matthew stepped forward.

"I remember you," Alex said, smiling. "It's wonderful to see you all again. I wish I could remember better."

"We'll help you with that," Matthew volunteered, looking deeply into her eyes, seeing something he had never seen in another girl. He pulled his gaze away, afraid he was making her uncomfortable.

Remembering that Alex had a headache, Odette smiled at her. "Alex, why don't you rest for a while? I'll have someone show you to your room."

"Okay. Oh, I was staying at an inn in town. I should let the keeper know where I am. He's a good friend of mine, and I wouldn't want him to worry."

"We'll send a message," Derek assured her. "You rest."

Alex nodded and was led upstairs by a maid who was walking nearby when Odette suggested Alex retired for the night.

As she walked down the halls, Alex could feel a strange sense of familiarity and confusion. She knew she had been there before, but when? And, more importantly, was it true?

When she reached her room, she was left alone for a few minutes while the maid went to fetch a nightgown and a dress for the next day as well as other supplies. When the maid came back with the things, Alex thanked her. The maid was out the door and down the hall before Alex had time to think about getting into the huge bed that awaited her.

Alex slid into the bed, feeling drained from her headache.

There, she fell into a deep, yet somewhat pained, sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Alex woke up sometime before the sun rose, trapped in one thought.

"What am I doing here?"

She rolled over to her side, facing a nearby window. True, she'd just gotten the best night of sleep she'd ever gotten. There were no crying children, people running around in the room, and no toddlers begging to sleep with her because of their nightmares. But something about it didn't feel right.

She sighed. "I don't belong here. What was I thinking last night? I'm no princess."

Something about the night before had made her believe that she was a princess, a part of the royal family. The next morning, she was not even close to being as sure as had been. Was it the level of exhaustion she felt? Was it Odette's insistence? The warm, welcoming looks on her 'family's' faces?

Whatever it was, it couldn't have been true. They were mixed up. She was looking for something that wasn't there. And as much as it hurt, she had to admit to herself that, like at the orphanage, she did not belong at the castle at Swan Lake.

Sure, there were the headaches. But that could have been anything. They happened every time she investigated her past, so it didn't necessarily mean she was on the right track.

She got out of bed, a little stiff. Shaking it off, she looked over to the dress the maid had left before on the wicker changing screen. She then looked to her dress, not much less extravagant, but more worn. She put it on.

"It's not mine," she muttered to herself. "None of this is mine."

She made her bed and cleaned up the room, making it look as it was when she was brought there. Exiting the room, she looked around, trying to remember where the maid said to go to get to the foyer.

She started to walk, remembering in detail where to go. Although she knew under normal circumstances, she wouldn't have been able to remember without asking for help, but she blew off this subtle hint as a coincidence. She didn't belong there, and that was final.

On the way, and thankfully not too far from the exit, she ran into Odette, Eli, and Matthew. She felt a stab of guilt. She didn't want to leave without saying goodbye, but at the same time, she wanted to leave without having to face them. She thought a clean break would be easier for all concerned.

"Alex?" Odette said, seeing the look of disappointment on Alex's face.

"I can't stay," Alex said simply. "I don't belong here."

"But Alex" Eli started as she continued walking, faster now.

"Please," she interrupted, not stopping. "Let me go. I don't want to pretend to be something I'm not. I like you all, I really do. But this is all too much. I'm simply not a princess."

Odette was just about to plead with Alex to stay, but she was too stunned by Alex's sudden decision to leave to think of any words.

Alex made it out the door, guiltily leaving Odette, Eli, and Matthew, who had been silent the entire time, behind.

She walked until she was off the castle grounds and into the woods near Swan Lake. She walked around, looking for nothing in particular. And while she was looking for nothing, she felt drawn to _something_, though she had no idea what it could have been, like she was subconsciously leading herself to a specific area…

There it was.

It was a swing, hanging by two ropes that were tied high in a tree branch that hung over head. Although the swing had obviously been there awhile, it looked sturdy, the way some old things do, even after years of use. Making her way over to it, careful of tree roots, she sat down, finding the wood to be familiar.

Had she been on this swing as a child?

No. Of course not. That would have meant she was a royal, which she had already decided wasn't true.

Matthew turned to Odette and Eli, who were staring after Alex. "I'll follow her," he said. "I'll talk to her."

Fairly sure she had gone in a generally straight direction, he followed what he thought to be her path into the woods. Like Alex, he felt like he was gravitating to a certain spot, but he was more sure of where he was going.

Seeing Alex on the swing brought back a flood of memories from his childhood. He had played on that swing as a boy. He had played with Alex on the swing, when they weren't fighting, that is.

He walked over to Alex, stopping behind her. "May I sit with you?"

She jerked around, surprised to see that he had followed her. "Y-yes."

She was, to his surprise, crying, if only a little. She was greatly upset by her decision. Quickly, she dried her tears and scooted over to make room for him.

It was a tight squeeze, but, for one reason or another, he was glad for the closeness.

"Would you mind telling me what you're afraid of?" he asked candidly.

"I'm not afraid of anything."

"Well, you must be. Otherwise you wouldn't have run away."

"I didn't _run away_," she responded, not liking his implication.

"I wasn't speaking literally."

"I know. And my answer stands; I didn't run away."

He smiled, starting so swing a little. "I used to play here all the time, you know. On the shores of this lake… There's a lot of memories for me."

"At least you _have_ memories," she said, somewhat bitterly.

"It must be hard for you."

"Well, it wasn't. Not until I came here, that is." She thought for a minute, deciding it would be okay to tell him what was on her mind, since he was so eager to know. "I feel like everyone expects me to suddenly remember everything about my life. But I can't, and it really hurts."

"Is that what's bothering you?"

"Yes. I feel like I _should_ remember. I mean, who doesn't remember who their parents are or were? Other than me, that is. I feel like I've disappointed them."

He thought a moment. "Alex, has anyone ever told you they love you? Not in a romantic sense, necessarily, just outright told you?"

She thought a moment. "No."

"So you've been alone all your life?"

"Well, no. I've always been around other people, I guess."

"Well, being alone doesn't always mean you're by yourself, you know. You can be alone in a crowded room if no one in it loves you."

She understood what he was saying. She was even glad he was saying it. But why? "You seem to care an awful lot."

"I do. Tell me, did you have friends growing up?"

"Yes."

"Did you love them?"

She thought about it a moment. "I liked them, I supposed. But we were never that close. I just didn't fit in."

He smiled. "But Odette said you fit in here; maybe not in so many words, but she said it. Why don't you believe her?"

"Because I don't know her," Alex said defensively.

"But you knew your friends and you didn't love them. And for all you know, you could know Odette and simply not remember."

"Touché."

"So why don't you want to stay?"

"Because I'm afraid," she finally admitted. He had been right all along. "I'm afraid of a lot of things. What if I disappoint them? What if I'm not who they think I am? What if I can't love them back?"

"Alex, you could never disappoint them, I assure you. They want you no matter who you are. And as for loving them; they love you, and a lot of the time, when someone loves you, loving them back comes naturally. Alex, you don't want to be alone for the rest of your life. I can see that in your eyes. You didn't really want to leave in the first place. Maybe it's time for you to let someone love you. And if it is, let it be them."

Alex stared at him for a moment, taken aback and comforted by his words at the same time.

He was right. She didn't want to be alone. She hated feeling like no one really understood her. And love, real love, was unconditional in all circumstances. Odette, Derek, Eli, and Joan really loved her. And they wanted her to stay.

She stood up, knowing what to do. "I'm going back."

He smiled, standing up. "Go ahead. I'll be along soon."

He watched her go, staring at her waist long hair swish back and forth as she walked. Slowly sitting back down, he thought about what he had just said to her.

Had she been any other girl, he wondered if he would have followed her. The answer was probably not. He knew this. It wasn't that he didn't care. It was just that there was only one Alex, and already, he felt like he'd be miserable if he lost her again.

On top of that, she deserved a family. And Odette and Derek deserved to have their daughter back as Eli and Joan deserved to have their sister. They would miss her terribly if she left again.

And so would he.

Why?

Because he liked her, maybe even… no. He had not seen her for twelve years and they had only just talked the day before. No, he didn't love her. And yet he was drawn to her in a strange way, otherwise he would have let her go.

He walked back to the castle, finding himself happy somewhere in his confusion.

XxX

After an apology for her rash action, which was immediately and graciously accepted, Alex went on to enjoy the rest of the day, spending most of her time with Odette, asking about her childhood, believing more and more as Odette told her story after story.

At the end of the day, when she and Derek were in bed, Odette thought of how Matthew had chased Alex down when she left.

"I wonder how he knew what to say," Derek said, a little envious of Matthew's way with words, something Derek knew he didn't have.

"He's smart," Odette replied. "I don't know exactly what he said, but it must have meant a lot to Alex, because she was back before he was."

"Do you think he might…"

"Love her?" Odette pondered it for a moment. "Well, we argued like they did as children, but that's nothing, I suppose. Do you think someone like Matthew could fall in love so fast?"

"Maybe. He probably hasn't admitted it to himself yet."

Odette smiled. "When did you admit to yourself you love me?"

Derek grinned in the dark. "Probably sometime around when I saw you all grown up. I was glad you had changed so- oof!" He rubbed his arm where Odette had playfully hit him. She was laughing. "I loved you all along. I just didn't know it until I finally realized that you weren't out to get me. I finally figured out that the only reason I pretended not to like you was because of my own pride. I just wish I could have found a better way to say it."

Odette laughed. "You have a… unique way with words. I wouldn't change that."


	12. Chapter 12

Each day was easier for Alex, and by the end of the Festival Days, she felt like one of the family. It was like she was never gone.

By nightfall, she would be plagued with those terrible head aches, but she didn't care. It was worth the pain, being with her family. She knew it would be more painful to be away from them than any migraine.

However, she felt a little guilty. Since her arrival, all the attention had been on her, something Matthew encouraged, something Eli didn't mind, and something Joan was definitely not accustomed to.

Although Joan didn't try to be the center of attention, it was predictable that, being the youngest child, she would be getting most of the attention from Derek and Odette. When Alex returned, this abruptly stopped, and Joan had been inadvertently forgotten about.

But of course, Derek and Odette were human, and they naturally gravitated toward Alex, wanting to know everything about the life they had missed for so long. Eli was a different story. Although he didn't hate his younger sister, he did hold her in a kind of contempt. In some ways, he blamed her for Alex's kidnapping.

And Joan was starting to feel it. It was to the point where Eli would barely talk to her. He avoided her a lot of the time. And the more it happened, the worse she felt.

She had been told since she was old enough to understand what had, in theory, happened that fateful night. Derek and Odette never tried to keep Alex a secret from Joan, considering Joan did have a right to know. At first they had merely told her that Alex had disappeared. Then they added in a new detail; she had been kidnapped. Next, they told her that Zelda was the culprit. The last piece of the puzzle came when Joan learned that Alex had been taken in her place.

The entire story had been strung out over a course of twelve years.

And through those twelve years, Joan remained the apple of her parents' eye. Eli had never really taken to her, but Odette and Derek understood why, and although they tried their best to help him get along with Joan and deal with the loss of Alex, Eli's contempt remained.

One afternoon, the day the festival ended, Eli had been challenged by Matthew to a contest on the obstacle course before it was taken down for the year. Alex, of course, had been invited to watch the two show off.

Joan, who had been standing very near by, didn't receive any kind of invitation until Alex bid her come along.

As they were on their way, Eli turned to Alex, who was walking behind him and Matthew with Joan, to say something, but, upon seeing Joan tagging along, turned around and said nothing.

At first, Alex thought nothing of it. She knew siblings – or anyone living in close quarters with each other, for that matter – didn't always see eye to eye. So it came as no real shock when Eli wasn't completely warmed up to Joan.

Watching Matthew and Eli run – and jump, climb, and swing – the obstacle course was amazing. Eli had the advantage right until the end, but at the last moment, Matthew took the lead, finishing first, earning himself a congratulatory applaud from Joan and Alex.

As they walked over to Alex, Matthew and Eli didn't speak a word to Joan. Of course, Matthew's reason was plain to everyone – save for Alex, who refused to believe it. He was quickly falling for her, and thus, she held his attention at all times.

But Eli's shunning his sister was a little more complicated for Joan to understand, let alone accept.

Together, they walked back to the castle, only for Matthew and Eli to be turned around by Derek, who wanted them to help take down the obstacle course.

As they were walking away, Alex looked to Joan, who looked saddened.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"Oh, it's nothing," Joan replied, shaking her head, as if to shake the problem away.

"And yet, it's something. Come on, what's wrong?"

"Eli, I guess."

"What about him."

Joan sighed. She took a deep breath, preparing herself for a rather long story. "Well, it's like this; he barely ever talks to me. He never really has. It's like he's hated me for years, and I didn't even know what I did until Mother and Father told me what happened to you, that you had been taken in my place. It's like he blames me for your kidnapping, and there's nothing I could have done! But he won't listen to reason, and he's been ignoring me for as long as I can remember. Then, you come along, and suddenly, he's so social. In one week, he's talked to you more than he has to me in twelve years."

Alex was a little taken aback by this. She knew Eli talked to her a lot more than he talked to Joan, but she didn't know that he had been ignoring her for twelve whole years. "I don't think he blames you for what happened to me."

"But he _does_, Alex. I've never seen him so happy. He certainly likes you a lot more than he likes me"

Alex sighed. "And now that I'm back, you've been ignored by everyone, haven't you?"

"I can expect it from Mother, Father, and even Matthew. But Eli has never been so kind to someone. I know he doesn't mean any harm to me personally, but it feels like"

"Like he's been taking out his grief and frustration on you," Alex finished.

"Yes."

Alex looked up at the sky, seeing several dark clouds in the distance. "I'll talk to him, the next chance I get. I'm going to fix this, I promise."

Joan smiled half heartedly. She had heard that promise from her parents, but she didn't bother to mention that to Alex. "Thanks."

After talking for a few more minutes, Alex could see Eli headed over to her. Without even looking at Joan, he began to speak.

"Alex, they're lighting fireworks. Do you want to watch? It's great fun."

"Sure," she replied casually. She looked at Joan, who had only just been saying how much she loved the fireworks at the end of every festival. As she walked away with Eli, Alex winked at Joan. "I'll talk to him," she whispered.

Joan watched for a moment or two as Alex and Eli took off, talking casually, something she and Eli had never done before. A sudden and intense sadness took over Joan, and she started to cry. Afraid of others seeing her tears, she started to walk into the forest, away from Swan Lake.

XxX

"Eli," Alex said in between bursts of light from the fireworks, "there's something I want to ask you."

"What's that?" he asked, not expecting anything important. He prepared himself to explain something about the family or tell her another memory about their parents or something along those lines.

"Why don't I ever see you talk to Joan?"

He jerked his head toward his elder sister and stared for a moment. He wasn't prepared to answer this. "I-I talk to her, Alex."

"Not really. Why didn't you invite her to watch the fireworks with us?"

"I… I don't really know. No, that's wrong. I do know. I guess, in a way, I've always sort of blamed her for what happened to you. I know it's not really her fault, but I can't help but think that if she hadn't been around, you would have been here."

"I know you've missed me for so many years, and that you feel like you've been cheated out of an older sister, but she needs an older brother right now. She needs you more than you need me because she needs you to be her friend. Eli, she's lonely, and she wants to be loved by you like a brother should love a sister. Let's face it; I've done all the growing I can do, so I don't need a role model as much as she does. And Eli, I don't know if I'll ever have to leave again, and if I do, she'll need you."

"I've been selfish," Eli sighed, feeling guilty for all the years of neglect he had put his little sister through. "I want to make things right."

"Then talk to her. Apologize. She'll understand, I promise."

Just as he said this, thunder began to sound off somewhere in the distance.

"Come on," Matthew called over to them. He had been watching the fireworks from another place, giving the siblings their privacy so Alex could talk. "Let's get inside before we get wet. Your mother wouldn't want you two to get sick or anything." The last was said with a caring glance at Alex, who played it down to herself.

When they were safely inside, Odette, who seemed to be looking for something, walked over to them.

"Have you seen Joan?"

Eli and Matthew shook their heads negatively.

"She didn't come here?" Alex asked.

"No. I assumed she was with you. She loves the fireworks."

Alex gasped, slapping a hand to her forehead.

"What's wrong?" Matthew asked.

"I'm such an idiot," she groaned, sprinting toward the door. She grabbed a cape from a nearby coat rack and was out the door. "I'll bring her back!" she called.

Alex dashed around outside, desperately trying to find Joan before the rain came down. Years around children had taught her at least one thing; staying outside in rain like the kind that was threatening to pour down at that moment meant sickness.

By sheer luck, Alex began to search in Joan's direction. She caught a glimpse of Joan's white dress in the woods.

Not wanting to be too hasty, but at the same time not wanting to waste too much time, Alex sat down next to Joan.

"How'd you find me?" Joan asked. She had no real idea where she was herself.

"Luck," Alex said simply. "Why are you out here?"

Joan shrugged. Alex sighed.

"I'm really not good at all this big sister stuff, now am I?"

"What do you mean?" Joan asked.

"I mean that I should have invited you to come along when Eli wanted to see the fireworks, whether he wanted you there or not. I should have given him an example to follow."

Joan shrugged. "It's not like he'd care." At that precise moment, the rain poured down, cold and hard.

"Au contraire," Alex said, raising her voice above the noise of the rain, "he wants to talk to you, Joan. He wants to apologize."

"He does?"

Alex nodded. "He barely realized he had been ignoring you, but he feels bad about it. He wants to make it up to you."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that." Alex draped her cape over her little sister's shoulders, leaving herself exposed. "Now come on, before you get sick."

Together, they ran back to the castle, not stopping until they were safely inside.

Odette, who had been waiting, rushed over to them, looking them over, making sure they weren't harmed in any way.

The only damage done was to their dresses, which were now soaked. Alex and Joan stood in the foyer of the castle, drenched and shivering, their hair wet and their hands cold.

"Oh Joan," Odette cooed motherly. "Are you alright?"

"Just wet, Mother," Joan replied, her teeth chattering as she spoke. "Alex found me and brought me back." Joan cast a thankful glance at her sister. Odette joined in, proud of her eldest daughter.

While Alex had been out looking for Joan, Eli had explained everything that had gone on that afternoon to Odette, whose heart swelled with pride for Alex, who had fixed a problem that she and Derek had no idea how to settle.

"Okay then," Odette said. "Why don't you two go get out of those wet clothes and dry off alright?"

"Agreed," Alex said as she passed by.

Joan took off to her own room, not wanting to wait a moment longer, as a dry dress would seem like heaven at that moment.

"And, Alex," Odette began, pausing as Alex turned toward her. "Thank you."

**Okay, okay, okay. You got me. That was such a "filler episode." But I thought Joan deserved to be presented into the story. No character left behind! **

**Thanks for reading and don't forget to review. Hey, I'm an attention junky, I like that kind of stuff :P **


	13. Chapter 13

Odette wandered about the castle, looking for Alex, who had probably gone off with Matthew for a walk, as they often did when they wanted a chance to chat. Odette smiled, thinking of what was growing between those two. They had become close; inseparable, in fact. And every time Matthew saw Alex, his face lit up in a kind of way that had never been seen before her return.

Her mind was caught up with these thoughts, so she was somewhat surprised to nearly run into Derek, who was just as startled. In fact, she was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she had even momentarily forgotten what she wanted to say to Alex.

"Something wrong?" Derek asked, looking concerned. Usually Odette was more careful.

"Not at all," Odette replied, remembering what had been on her mind to begin with. "Have you seen Alex?"

"She's with Matthew."

"No big surprise there," she laughed. "Well, could you let her know I'm looking for her next time you see her?"

"Sure, but what's this about?"

Odette smiled a little bit. She seemed embarrassed. "I may have forgotten to tell her about the ball."

Every year, a few days after the festival ended, Odette and Derek would hold a ball, keeping with Uberta's tradition that had been started years before. Knowing everyone would be coming, from princesses to kings, dressed in their finest, Odette wondered if Alex would be nervous – and she probably would, as anyone would be.

"You _didn't._.." Derek's jaw dropped a little, feeling sympathy for Alex, as he shared Odette's thoughts.

"I did." She thought about it a moment. "We could cancel this year..."

"Yes, but what good would it do? She has to get used to it, you know."

"I know, but she's never done this kind of thing before, and everyone's going to be staring at her. She'll be the center of attention, and she's had enough of a hard time with that already."

Derek nodded in agreement. "I know, but I think it's best to keep things running as normal so she can get used to everything."

"Do you think she can handle it?"

"Odette, if she's anything like you, and she is, I _know_ she can handle it."

XxX

"What do you mean, 'royal ball?'" Alex demanded, suddenly very nervous. She already wasn't used to people treating her differently from everyone else. The last thing she wanted was to be made a circus of.

"Exactly what I say," Matthew replied smoothly. "All the royals are coming here in about a week or two, for the autumn ball."

"My mother doesn't seem like the type…"

"She's not. In fact, she really, really hates it. She only does it every year to appease your grandmother. Now _she_ was a party girl in her day."

"Why haven't I met her yet?" Alex inquired.

"Well, she's getting on in age. She can't do a lot of traveling, but she knows you've been found. She'll probably be at the ball to see you."

"Yay… more relatives."

"Got that right," Matthew laughed. "Don't worry. You can handle this. It's easy."

"Easy for you," she muttered. "Anyway… what does one do at this royal ball?"

She added a dramatic flourish to her words, poking fun at the entire idea. Matthew chuckled, knowing how much he agreed with her. In fact, it seemed that everyone, save Uberta, of course, thought the whole thing was pretty ridiculous. It was more obligation than entertainment.

"Well, the only mildly interesting thing to do is dance, but I've only ever spent my time chatting with other princes."

"What, no princesses for you?"

He grinned. "Are you implying something?"

"Only that you've probably broken more than your fair share of hearts."

"If I did, I promise, it wasn't my intention."

Alex's tone became serious and her voice dropped in curiosity and interest. "Have you ever been in love?"

Matthew's smile faded a bit as he thought of the answer. He was not really quite ready to tell her how he felt, and he was pretty sure she wasn't ready to hear it.

"Not in the past," he said carefully, minding his words. "I've never met the right girl."

They let that hang in the air for a moment. Matthew wondered if he had given away too much, or, worse, pushed her away, and Alex wondered what exactly he was looking for in the 'right girl.' More accurately, she was wondering if he found those attributes in her.

Matthew was the first to come up with a solution for the awkwardness.

He snapped his fingers in a 'eureka' moment.

"What?" Alex asked, startled out of her thoughts.

"I could teach you exactly what to do at a ball."

"Talk with other people… seems simple enough to me."

"What about dancing?" His smile turned sly, hoping she might be interested in dancing with him, when the time came.

Alex blushed a little bit. "I've never actually danced before."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Okay then, I'll show you."

Leading her to a clear spot near the shore of the lake, where they had been walking, he stood in front of her. He grabbed her left hand and placing it on his shoulder. He placed his right hand on her waist and held out his left for her to take. Once they had assumed the proper placement, Matthew started to move his feet.

"One, two, three. One, two, three," he whispered as he counted the steps.

"We're… dancing," Alex said in distracted amazement. True, she had never danced before and was doing well, but the way Matthew was staring into her eyes was even more captivating.

"I knew you could do it," he replied. They waltzed about on the shore, feeling more like they were floating than dancing.

Alex's smile faded a little, though it didn't lead into an unpleasant expression.

"Dizzy?" Matthew asked, almost joking in his tone, but his voice revealing something more about the question.

"No," Alex whispered in reply. Something about him… it was making her heart warm up, like all the years of loneliness were melting away. It was a strange, unknown, and completely pleasant feeling. "Not at all."

They stopped moving. Matthew brought his face down to be closer to Alex's. Slowly, to give her a chance to move away, if she so chose, he brought his lips gradually closer to hers, until they were touching. When he knew she was not repulsed by his lips, he began to kiss her, not stopping until he had to breathe.

They slowly, unwillingly, pulled apart, staring into each other's eyes all the while.

True, Alex had only been back for a short while, but the kiss, being close to each other… it felt _right_. Somehow, they just knew that it was meant to be, and that they loved each other.

"I'm dizzy _now_," she laughed breathlessly.

He smiled. "I should bring you back. We need to get you ready, and that probably includes a crash course in how to deal with other royals."

"Will you be teaching?" she asked mischievously. "I think I like your technique…"

He laughed aloud. "No, I think Odette should handle it. I'd get too… distracted. By the way… I think I found the right girl."

She laughed a little. "Oh, have you?"

"I have, Alex. I've fallen hard for you, and I truly believe, as I believe you're a princess, that you are the one for me. And I can only hope I'm the one for you."

She kissed him on the cheek, smiling when she drew back. "If you're not perfect, then the one who is perfect for me is far more than human."

"Looks like you won't be lonely anymore," he noted.

"We all need someone. And even if I did fight being in this family, I'm certainly not going to fight what's between us. This love is just too strong."

XxX

Alex and Matthew tried to be nonchalant as they returned to the castle, refusing the urge to kiss again, or to even hold hands. They weren't sure if they were ready to tell anyone that they were in love, although they knew Derek and Odette would more than approve.

Of course, it wasn't easy. The entire way back, they bumped into each other. This mostly happened when they let their guard down and let their act slip.

But they made it back without drawing attention to themselves. They promised each other before they parted ways that they would meet the next day, same time, same place.

Alex found Odette after receiving a message from her father.

"You wanted to see me?" Alex said as she walked into a rumpus room where Odette was waiting.

"Yes. I wanted to tell you something," Odette began.

Alex cut her off. "About the ball?"

"Yes."

"Matthew told me."

Odette smiled. She thought he would. "Are you nervous?"

"Well, I was. I've never danced before."

"And you're not nervous anymore?"

"Matthew taught me…"

Odette watched Alex's expression change into one of a slight dreaminess when she mentioned the dancing lesson. It was easy to see that she had fallen in love with him, something that was probably destined to happen anyway, judging by how they acted toward each other as children. It was a strange and funny thing for Odette to see one of her children find their true love, but it was a joyous thing at the same time.

"Are you ready for it? There'll be an awful lot of people."

Alex smiled. "Hey, if I can handle having a family that's totally new to me, being a princess, and still keeping my sanity, I can handle a royal ball."

"Thanks, Alex," Odette said, smiling.

"For?"

"For being so understanding."

"That's what you do for a friend... and for family, well, you do more."


	14. Chapter 14

Alex and Odette practiced and prepared right up until two days before the ball. Alex had easily gotten the hang of everything from properly curtsying to waltzing, though the latter had more to do with Matthew, whose love for Alex had grown exponentially, than Odette.

All there was left to do was find a dress.

Odette knocked on Alex's bedroom door. "Alex? Are you ready?"

"Uh, just a sec…" Alex took a quick look at herself in the mirror, not recognizing herself in the least. "Okay, I'm ready.

Odette slipped inside Alex's room, not wanting anyone to sneak a peak at Alex's dress before she was ready. It was going to be a surprise. When Odette saw her daughter in the gown, she gasped, her eyes filling with tears of pride, which she promptly wiped away.

"Well, what do you think?" Alex asked.

"Perfect."

XxX

Alex met up with Odette, Derek, Eli, and Joan outside the ballroom. They were all dressed impeccably, looking their finest for their guests. Everyone, save for Odette, stared at Alex when she walked up.

"What?" Alex asked, not understanding why all eyes were on her.

"We didn't recognize you for a second, sis," Eli said.

"Oh come on," Alex muttered. "It's the same old me."

"More like new and improved," Joan countered.

"They're right," Odette chimed in. "You look great."

Derek smiled as he changed the subject to save Alex from more embarrassment. "Well, shall we?"

The doors open and Odette and Derek linked arms. Eli and Joan followed, walking side by side, and Alex came in last.

And it seemed the moment Alex stepped into the ballroom, every eye in the room flew to her. It was amazing to see her again. Imagine, the lost princess, gone for twelve long and lonely years and now back again, looking so much like her mother that it hurt.

Alex only met one pair of awaiting eyes – Matthew's. He was always mesmerized when she stepped into the room, never mind who she was. At that moment, he decided she would never be more beautiful that she was at that moment as she strode into the room in a gorgeous red gown with a gold lacing up the torso and gold belt and trim.

He felt his heart beat a little faster as she walked directly over to him, smiling in the most dazzling way. He felt like he was falling, and falling hard. Somehow, his legs did what his mind forgot to do. He walked over to meet Alex. They took each other's hands as they stared into each other's eyes, so happy to be together.

From somewhere in the distance, they heard Derek snap his fingers, a signal to Roger's to play something slow. In response, Alex and Matthew's feet started to move. One, two, three. One, two, three. Just like they had practiced.

And it felt amazing.

Oh, how they loved each other at that moment, and oh, how they knew it would last forever.

Alex felt a tear, a single, lonely tear, roll down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away in surprise.

"Is something wrong?" Matthew asked, knowing that it was only a tear of happiness.

"Why'd you have to come and happen to me?" she laughed. "Just when I thought my life couldn't get any more complicated…"

"You mean I made it worse?"

"You made it go away."

He chuckled. "I think love does that; it chases away all those bad things that hold us down."

They danced for a few more moments, moving closer and closer, until the song ended. Matthew smiled and kissed her lightly on the cheek and then bowed to her as she curtsied to him.

When they had separated enough to allow other people to speak to them, Alex recognized someone, not from memory, but from Matthew's description. It was her grandmother, Queen Uberta. She was excitedly walking over to Alex, wondering if, like the rest of the kingdom, the girl was real.

It didn't take but a mere millisecond for Uberta to decide Alex was, indeed, the long lost princess. Upon deciding this, she threw her arms around Alex, squeezing her tight.

Alex, too surprised to do anything but lightly pat her grandmother on the back, stared at Matthew with a 'help me' look on her face.

Matthew carefully captured Uberta's attention by tapping her on the back. Uberta, of course, responded by releasing Alex and embracing Matthew. When she finally let go of him, she turned her attention to Alex, whose body language had made it clear that she was, at the moment, uncomfortable.

"Well, how are you, dear?" Uberta asked animatedly. "It's been so long, hasn't it."

"It has," Alex replied soberly. "And I'm well, thank you."

"I'm so glad to hear it. Oh, it's just been too long, and when you were… well, kidnapped, I thought I'd never see you again, and it's just so wonderful to see you again."

Excitable as she was, Alex knew that Uberta was a good person. Again, her lack of memory seemed to be stopping her from enjoying this reunion. "I… wish I could say the same."

"Ah, yes, your memory. Well, don't worry. That'll come back soon enough. Well, I'd better get going and let you enjoy the ball."

Alex danced off and on all night. Sometimes she would find herself dancing with a prince or lord she had only gotten the name of. To be honest, it was driving her crazy. She couldn't pretend to be interested in these other boys when Matthew was in the room.

But Matthew had his own problems. With all the princes in the room concerned with Alex, all the princesses had nothing to do but chat and dance with him. He stuck it out for about an hour or so before he was finally sick of acting like he wanted to be a pawn in these immature girls' relationships – or lack thereof.

When he got the chance, Matthew broke away. When he found Alex, she was dancing with yet another overbearing prince. Seeing the discomfort on her face, he walked over.

He tapped the pretty boy prince on the back. "May I cut in?"

There was a certain edge in the question that made the only possible response a 'yes.' The prince backed away to find some other girl that would swoon over him, as Alex certainly didn't.

Gladly, they joined together, waltzing for only a moment or two before Matthew leaned down so that he could whisper in Alex's ear. "Come away with me."

He led her with one hand out the ballroom, through the corridor, and away from the castle. They walked together, lost in each other's eyes, to the Shore of Swan Lake, to the place where they had practiced dancing.

"It's so much quieter here," Alex noted, thankful for the only sounds being the conversations of croaking frogs and the music of chirping crickets.

Matthew smiled warmly at her, love in his brown eyes. "Yes, it is… It's so peaceful out here. I just can't get over it. I can't get over being here with you."

Placing his finger under her slender neck, he tilted her head up and kissed her. Their lips stayed together as long as their lungs could stand it.

"I don't think you know how much you've changed me," Alex said when they had pulled apart.

"And you've changed me, my love. I've never, ever felt like this before. Being this romantic, this happy, all the time… well, it's just not like me."

"And do you think I'm the kind of girl who would ever think she would belong in a family? Before I met you, before you stopped me that day when I was about to leave it all behind, I would have thrown it all away and not looked back."

"Do you believe it now?"

"There are still a lot of missing links, but yes. I do believe I am as much a part of this family as Joan or Eli. It just amazes me sometimes…"

"What's that?" he asked, a little puzzled.

"How scared I was. I've been through a lot of changes in my life, some of them really scary, but when I had to make the decision on whether or not I would stay, well, I'd never been so terrified in my life. And I was going to take the easy way out and forget about all this but you, you stopped me. And I owe you my life for that, Matthew."

He smiled. "To be honest, if it hadn't been you, if I wasn't in danger of never seeing you again, I don't know if I would have been able to say what I did. If it had been anyone else, I don't know if I would have chased after them like I did with you. You're just that worth it, I suppose.

They kissed again, this time wrapping their arms around each other, being as close as they could be.

This time, when they finally pulled apart, something had changed…

"The light," Alex whispered.

Indeed, everything was cast in a green glow. Looking across the lake, Matthew and Alex could see its source.

On the horizon was a green flame, like a sunset, only much more menacing. Worse, it was coming closer.

"Oh no," Alex muttered, remembering the strange green light from somewhere in a memory she had tucked away a long time ago.

"What could it be?" Matthew asked no one in particular. He had never seen such a strange glow before, and now it gave him a bad feeling.

"I don't know, but a green light in the sky like that… well, that's generally not a good sign."

Like a green comet, it shot over their heads, leaving a trail of light behind it.

"It's headed for the castle!" Matthew exclaimed.

"We have to get back. Come on!"

They took off, running as fast as they could. From somewhere ahead, they heard a window shattering. Picking up the pace, they made it into the ballroom as the intruder was entering through the broken window.

Alex suddenly felt a wave of hate flow over her, stronger than anything she had ever felt, save for her love for Matthew, as she laid eyes on the woman who had disturbed not only the ball, but the sanctity of her childhood.

"You…" Alex said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Zelda."


	15. Chapter 15

Matthew took a few protective steps forward to be in front of Alex, wanting to block her, should Zelda try something. But Alex didn't want to be protected at the moment. She moved in front of him, taking a slightly offensive stance.

Zelda turned her head downward from her fireball to face Alex head on, and for a stunning moment, Alex began to remember everything.

However, Zelda remembered nothing about this girl who had easily recognized her. She didn't at all remember the girl who had called out her name and who was now staring her down with the most fierce eyes and angry expression on her face.

"Who are you?" Zelda demanded.

"I should think you'd recognize me, Zelda. I can't be too easy to forget."

"So, you _have_ returned," Zelda said, finally placing the girl. Alex had changed after years of being away. Not being raised in the castle definitely gave her a more edgy look than the rest of her family, but there was no mistaking the resemblance to Odette. "I'm so happy to see it."

"Hey, you can be evil all you want. That's one thing, but don't lie to my face, Zelda. And yeah, I'm back. I guess you're just not good at killing people, or memories, now are you?"

"So, my little spell didn't work? Well, I have-"

"Oh it worked," Alex interrupted, "just not that well. And, I know, you have another spell that will kill me. Well, you'd better use it pretty quick before-"

Alex was cut off by the sound of the ballroom doors bursting open. A near army of castle guards flooded in, armed with bows and swords, the former ready and aimed at Zelda.

"Too late," she finished smoothly, glad for the good timing.

Before the arrows could be loosed, however, Zelda was already flying off, too fast for the archers, who weren't accustomed to there being attacks on the castle, since Chamburg was a generally peaceful land.

"Too late, indeed," Zelda called down as she started to escape.

Alex stood watching for a few more minutes until Derek and Odette started to run toward the stable. Alex, who knew she couldn't ride as well as her parents, having never rode on horseback before, Alex turned to Eli, Joan, and Matthew, who stared back at her, as if waiting for orders.

"Come on," Alex half barked at them. She started out the door, allowing Matthew and the others to go ahead of her. Before she passed up the last guard, she relieved him of his bow and quiver of arrows.

"Thanks!" she called behind her as she bolted off after Matthew and her siblings.

When she caught up, Matthew, to her slight chagrin, was waiting on her. "Why do you have that?!" he asked, a little peeved that he had not thought of it himself.

"It seemed appropriate," she replied.

"Do you even know how to use that thing?"

"Well, now would be a good time to learn, I suppose."

Alex slung the quiver over her shoulder as they took off again. After a few minutes of being slowed down by her largely impractical shoes, Alex stopped momentarily to kick them off. Eli, Joan, Derek, and Odette were well ahead of her and Matthew, a thought that filled her with unease. She didn't want anything – good or bad – to happen if she wasn't there.

Fortunately for her – and her bare feet - Zelda was looking for a fight, and thus, didn't go too far. In fact, everyone was gathered a spot that wasn't far from where Matthew and Alex had first seen the green light of Zelda's fireballs.

Zelda stared at Alex in amazement and hatred.

"So, did you come to finish the job, or were you just bitter because you didn't get an invitation?" Alex asked, a sly, challenging grin on her face.

"I've come to finish you all off," Zelda replied, ignoring the taunts and aiming a fireball at her. "This time, no mistakes, no missing notes, just all of you wretches against me."

Zelda threw the fireball. When it was flying at her, Alex found herself frozen, ironically enough. She couldn't make her legs move, for some reason. Matthew, knowing this rushed over and tackled her to the ground, saving her from Zelda's magic.

"Thanks," Alex said. "I-I don't know what happened to me…"

"Don't worry about it," he replied. "You can thank me if we live through this."

"Come on now, have you given up so soon?" Zelda jeered. "The fun's only just begun. I had heard you returned, and I was hoping for a challenge, but you're actually making this boring, princess."

"She's very antagonistic," Matthew noted.

"You're telling me," Alex muttered sarcastically, cupping her forehead in her hand.

"Are you alright?"

"I will be…"

And suddenly, she knew what was happening. It was one of the migraines, and it was happening because she was remembering everything. All the memories, the lost years and missing names and faces… they were all coming back to her, rushing into her mind, flooding her brain with new information that it almost couldn't handle.

Knowing Alex was going to have trouble for at least a few more minutes, Matthew led her off to hide behind a nearby clutch of trees.

He turned his attention back to his friends, watching Zelda's movements. Now, she was firing at Joan, who was narrowly dodging the attacks. Odette, Derek, and Eli were trying to get Zelda's attention off the youngest member of the family, but to no avail.

"Hey, Zelda!" Matt barked. "You want a fight? I'm right here."

"_We're_ right here," Alex corrected, now able to step up beside him. She pushed the pain to the back of her mind, forcing herself to focus on the task at hand.

Zelda, unable to resist their challenge, immediately began blasting them with her magic. They easily dodged the first few blasts, but they were soon too defensive to be able to come up with a good offense.

"Yikes!" Matthew yelped just as a fireball barely missed him. It was so close that he could feel its heat. Had the fireball hit him, he knew he would have lost a foot.

Alex, though afraid for Matthew and her family, was not afraid for herself. She bravely stood up, not obscured by any kind of cover that could possibly safe her life. "Is that all you've got, Zelda? You're going to have to do better than that!"

The moment the words left her mouth, Zelda attacked again, this time in a ditch effort to shut Alex up permanently.

Having dropped the bow when Matthew tackled her to safety, Alex picked up a rock and lobbed it with perfect accuracy at Zelda. It would have hit, but Zelda destroyed it with the fireball that was intended for Alex before it was within three feet of her.

The corners Alex's smirking mouth dropped along with the bits of rock. She had no idea how she was going to win and keep her family safe at the same time.

"Not the most polite little princess of the bunch, now are you?" Zelda taunted, seeing Alex's slight distress.

Alex's reply showed only complete confidence, regardless of how bad things were at that moment.

"No, and you have only yourself to blame for that. Couldn't leave well enough alone, now could you?"

"You think you know me. Let me guess, your dear mother told you the story, didn't she?"

"Yeah, and when I asked her about it last week, she didn't leave out the good parts. I know exactly what you did, and it won't happen again, to any of my family."

"Would you be willing to make a deal?" Zelda asked, knowing she was going to get the better end of it.

The odds were, of course, tilted in her favor, a fact Alex was fully aware of, not that she cared. She didn't care about anything except for getting her family, Matthew both included and especially, away safely.

"Alright. I'll make a deal with the devil's daughter. Name your stakes."

"Fine. You for all of them."

"Done," Alex said confidently. She turned to Matthew, who was standing slack-jawed, not believing what he was both hearing and seeing. "Matthew, you and the others can go now."

"But, Alex…" Matthew attempted to reason, but Alex would have none of it.

"Go. _Now._ There might be a chance that I can win this."

Just as he was about to try to protest once more when he realized her head was tilted back, if only slightly. He looked in the direction she was discretely indicating. It was the bow she had dropped. He nodded, a barely visible motion, and walked past her.

"You heard her. Let's go," he called to everyone else, letting them leave before him.

Odette and Derek led the way, trusting that Alex had something under her sleeve. Even if she didn't, they didn't plan to go far.

"Smart move," Zelda said, keeping the triumphant laughter out of her voice. "At least the rest of you will survive."

"You talk too much," Alex muttered.

"Feeling sore, are we?"

"Nah. I just really wish you'd shut up."

As soon as the words came out of her mouth, a fireball was flying toward her. She dodged it, looking only momentarily at the smoldering crater that was left where she was standing. She looked up at Matthew, who had grabbed the bow. She nodded curtly.

Matthew, understanding the signal as if she had said it aloud, threw the bow to her with all his might. Zelda, who had been distracted by Matthew's movement, aimed a fireball at him while Alex notched her arrow.

"Hey, Zelda!" Alex yelled before Matthew would have had to dodge the fireball that was clearly being aimed at him. Zelda let the fireball go just as Alex loosed the arrow with deadly accuracy.

The arrow flew straight over to Zelda, piercing her heart. A luckier shot was never seen before and would never be seen again.

The arrow to her heart jolted Zelda's arm, making her aim go down by a few degrees. Alex had stepped back only slightly after releasing her arrow, so the fireball hit the ground beside her.

It was a large, deadly fireball, to be sure. It was definitely a destroyer. Although it didn't hit her directly, Alex was still knocked to the ground by the impact. She was conscious, though she could not move. She felt like the ground was shaking, but she knew it had to be still, as she could see Matthew and her parents and siblings, who were well behind him, running toward her without trouble.

"Alex? Alex!" Matthew yelled.

She couldn't respond. She could barely understand what he was saying, for that matter. Nothing on her would respond to her mind's commands. Everything was still rattling so violently that she could barely concentrate.

"Alex, can you hear me?!"

Finally, the shaking stopped. Even the migraine was gone. She sat up, too fast for Matthew's liking.

"Hey, take it easy," he cooed protectively. He put his hands on her shoulders to steady her; glad she was feeling well enough to rush her own recovery.

"You're okay," she gasped as she threw her arms around him.

"_I'm_ okay?" he repeated, almost exasperated by her downplaying what had just happened – and what had nearly happened. "I'm glad _you're_ okay! That was amazing! _You _were amazing, Alex. You"

She cut him off with a swift kiss of thanks, both for his being alive and her victory. Of course, he couldn't help but fall into it, even as Odette, Derek, Eli, and Joan were approaching.

"Hey, you two," Eli said as he reached them. He was grinning, but not out of spite for them. He was, like the rest of the family, genuinely glad everyone was okay.

"Did you see that?" Joan exclaimed.

"It was pretty hard to miss," Derek said as Matthew helped Alex up.

"Are you alright?" Odette asked, her mind still on the fireball that would have undoubtedly killed Alex, had it hit its target.

"Yes, I'm fine. Really, I am."

"That was a perfectly skilled shot," Derek complimented her.

"No. Just lucky."

"Whatever it was," Matthew said, "it was amazing."


	16. Chapter 16

After the fight and after all the guests left, Alex found herself unable to sleep, only think and reflect on all that had happened throughout the years. She had her memory back, and that was the most important thing to her, but there were still things that bothered her.

Quietly, she wandered out of her room.

Down the hall and around the corner, she ran into Odette.

"Still awake?" Alex asked as she walked over. To be honest, she was surprised that Alex was even standing. It seemed like all Alex had done that night was dance and fight. She hadn't been trying to sleep for more than twenty minutes before she was wandering the halls.

"I couldn't fall asleep," Odette explained.

"Yeah, neither could I."

They were quiet for a moment as they started walking, not sure where to, but the hallway wasn't exactly the best place to talk.

"So, you're memory came back?" Odette asked, not sure how to begin a conversation, though she wanted to talk and she knew Alex did too.

"Yes. Seeing Zelda made me remember. When she was trying to destroy my memory, I held on to it as best I could, locking it away from everyone, even myself. And now, it's better. I feel like my head is finally clear, more so than it's ever been, anyway."

"Are you happier now?"

"No. To be honest, I never needed them, not as much as I thought I did, that is. I was scared, terrified that… never mind."

"Wait, what were you terrified of?"

"I guess it would sound stupid now," Alex said thoughtfully. "But I was terrified that I would disappoint you, that I wouldn't be good enough to be a part of this family. But I see now that I was wasting my energy fearing something that would never happen."

"Well, you're right about that," Odette assured her. "I was always proud of you. And I'm even more proud of you now."

"I was lucky more than anything. But it does feel good to hear that someone's proud of me. I'll admit that. I've been thinking… about that night."

"You remember what happened?"

"I do. That night was the night I had thought I saw something in the woods. Eli had accidently hit me in the arm with a wooden sword, and as bad as it hurt, I was distracted by something, some kind of movement… And that night, I couldn't sleep, much like tonight. But I had a bad feeling, like something was terribly wrong, and I didn't know what. My intuition led me to Joan's room, and there was Zelda. Well, we all know Joan wouldn't be able to tell you what happened, but I would have been, so she took me instead. And then she tried to destroy my memory, but I held onto it. I didn't want to forget, so I just buried it in the back of my mine. But I remember it all now… everything that happened, it's all there."

Odette listened in amazement at Alex's story. "Why didn't you call for help?"

"There wasn't time. And I knew if I did, there was a good chance that Zelda would have killed us both, and that wasn't an option."

"I see."

"But it amazes me how much I've missed. When I was growing up, I always longed for something, but I didn't know what it was. I always felt like something was missing, and to have that gap filled… it's a wonderful feeling."

"I've missed you, Alex. And when you came back, I couldn't have been happier, and now that you remember everything, well, I stand corrected."

Alex smiled. "It's good to be back."

XxX

The next morning, Alex and Matthew managed to sneak off – although everyone noticed and knew where they were – to the spot where their favorite spot by the lake.

"And I remember you now, mister," Alex said, grinning mischievously.

"Oh? And what do you remember?"

"I remember when we used to mess with each other when we were kids. I remember how you thought you were so great because you're two years older than me, and that I thought I would cry because I saw your face."

Matthew burst into highly amused laughter. "I'm sorry I couldn't be more handsome."

"It'd be pretty hard," Alex assured him, kissing him on the cheek. "You'd have to be some kind of angel. Besides, we were children, and most of what we said to each other back then doesn't even apply now."

"I don't it even applied back then."

"What do you mean?"

He sighed. "When you were kidnapped, I don't think I ever got over it. I didn't want to be friends with anybody except for Eli, but that was because we were going through the same loss. For years, I couldn't connect with anybody, and until you came into my life, I never had any interest in the princesses my parents tried to set me up with. I always wanted you, and only you."

"You know, I went through the same thing. But I didn't know why. There was just something about the boys I knew… there was always something about them that would drive me away. And it was like that with everyone… until I met you."

"It was like a huge, gaping hole had been filled."

"Exactly."

He smiled faintly. He finally decided to say what he had been thinking since he told her he loved her. He hoped she would agree and that her answer would be a yes.

He took a deep breath.

"Alex, I don't ever want to go through that feeling of loss and loneliness again, and I certainly don't want it for you, either. And although I don't want to rush you and I think we need to give ourselves more time to get reacquainted, I want to be with you and only you. So, will you be mine? At least for a little while?"

"No. I'll be yours forever."


End file.
